Choices and Consequences
by Mirage Rules
Summary: The story of Bruce and Natasha's journey back together after the events of Age of Ultron, and surviving the Civil War.
1. Chapter 1

**Well here I am attempting to write my second FanFiction story. My other one for General Hospital was to complex and detailed with too many characters that it got away from me, and with school, work and other life events getting in the way I lost confidence, motivation, and the desire to finish the my over 200,000 word story. I keep saying I'll get around to it eventually, but still haven't. For my Bruce/Natasha story I am going to keep things simple and focus mainly on them as the world around them gets more complicated.**

 **First before I get to the story I thought I'd add some back ground on why I decided to write a fanfiction story about these two. It was the combination of two things. First like others going into Avengers Age of Ultron I was skeptical of the Bruce and Natasha story as it wasn't so called Canon in the comics, but I've never been one of those anal people who has to have everything in TV or film based off a novel or comic exactly like the source material, so I kept up an open mind, and the more I saw of the friendship and romance the more I was looking forward to it, and after seeing Age of Ultron I loved the friendship/romance between Bruce and Natasha as it was one of the best things about Age of Ultron, and hope there will be more between the two in future films, and wanted to write a story about the two. The second reason was because of the undeserved hate that Joss, Mark, and a lesser extent Scarlett have gotten over the story line, and especially the scene at the farm that many, many people misinterpreted. Yes Joss's execution of that scene and the editing of the film wasn't the best, but anyone should be able to understand what he was trying to say in the script, and what Natasha was trying to say to Bruce.**

 **All right moving on. I am a Marvel Comic fan first reading their comics in the late 1980's briefly stopping in 2003 after Marvel decided to go with the terrible ONE MORE DAY storyline of erasing Peter Parker's past from the world after his deal with Mephisto. I've slowly gotten back into comics since 2011. I never got into the Hulk comics with my only dealings with the character through the X-Men, Spiderman, Avengers, and other comics, so my depth of knowledge of the character isn't that vast. A few of my absolute favorite Marvel characters are Gambit, Spiderman, Daredevil, Hawkeye, Rogue, and Black Widow.**

 **I'm not a huge shipper, as I think shipping especially in television can ruin people's enjoyment of a show, but if I were to ship Natasha with anyone it would be Matt Murdock. Natasha's relationship with Captain America (Steven Rogers) has been more of a friendship more than anything else. Natasha and Clint Barton did have some what of a relationship, but it had more to do with working together than love, and Clint will always love Bobbi Morse more than anyone else as she is the love of his life. Natasha even had a brief fling with Tony Stark which with it being Tony Stark you know that didn't last. That leaves us Bucky Barnes and Matt Murdock the two in my opinion are the only characters that Natasha has truly loved, and I believe she loved/loves Matt more. Those two in the comics with who ever wrote for them always fit together well had a long relationship before life events got in the way, but the two even have a child together in one of the best story lines I have ever read in Daredevil's END OF DAYS storyline. Writer Brian Michael Bendis knows Daredevil, and Natasha so well creating a wonderful tragic story that everyone should read. I am also surprised there isn't more Matt Murdock/Natasha FanFiction, and I would have loved to see the two team up in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, but like Clint/Bobbi Natasha/Buck that's not going to happen. I am sorry shippers hopping that's going to happen it isn't. In Captain America: Winter Soldier the writers already stated that Hydra kept Bucky cryogenically frozen as he isn't ageless only using him for important missions, and not going to waste time trying him with a program like the Red Room he had not connection with.**

 **As for the plot it takes place after the events of the Age of Ultron and up until then end of my Marvel Civil War. It should be around 15 to maybe 20 chapters, and again mainly focusing on Bruce and Natasha. Just couple of other things. I haven't fully decided what to do with the ridiculous epilogue to the season finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with the Inhumans stuff getting into fish and other sea creatures. I really like AOS, but that was one of the elements of the show that I just didn't like. Also there will be Mutants. That is something else I didn't like as Marvel has to do that since FOX owns the rights to the word and the X-Men. I don't understand how Marvel couldn't at least try to work out a deal to use the word, but anyway Marvel may not have the right, but I do, and will be using the word, and characters who are mutants. Also just a warning I have never been a fan of Tony Stark. Tony's just a terrible character, and here's a fact Stan Lee only created the character as a challenge to himself. Stan Lee wanted to create a superhero nobody would like and see if he could force people to like the character. Lee may have force other people to like the character, but I certainly don't. Robert Downey Jr. good performance only makes the character bearable in the films. Finally I am using both history from Marvel Comics, and Marvels Cinematic Universe wiki page which does have a lot of useful information.**

 **All right I know some people dislike when a FanFiction writer puts a long forward in chapters, and I some times dislike it to, so I will try not to, and only to when reviewers ask me questions. I hope you enjoy my story, and feel free to leave reviews. I love praise, but I have no problem with constructive criticism.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1**_

Waves crashed soothingly against the shores of Mangaia as the first bit of daylight begin to rise beating away the darkness of night with the morning sun creeping into a small ragged cabin where once David Bixby slept or as he is better known to the outside world as Bruce Banner. Bruce loved the sound of the waves crashing against the shore as he rubbed his eyes waking from another night of sleep where his dreams and nightmares were no longer just about what the Hulk had done, but now also of a beautiful red head he missed, and to start another peaceful and tranquil new day on the quiet island of Mangaia. Bruce lived in a small two room hut with only a living room and bedroom. The shower was outdoors as was the cooking fire pit and toilet. It was simple, but Bruce did enjoy the simple life he had on Mangaia. After waking up on the shores of Fiji he had made his way southeast traveling from Tonga to Nue, and finally to the Cook Islands and Mangaia. Bruce was surprised by the kindness of the locals of the islands who willingly helped clothless and penniless foreigner, but they had helped him anyway with Bruce only being able to pay through his medical expertise, which he preferred over being the Hulk destroying everything he touches and killing countless people. Using the name David Bixby, Bruce had gotten a job as a local doctor at the clinic on Mangaia. The island was far away from the capital Avarua, sparsely populated quiet with few outsiders. It was a perfect place for Bruce to hide from the Avengers, General Ross, and himself.

After waking up from another deep stress free night where his own dreams or nightmares were of a certain red head Bruce went on his morning run along the beach, and after went to the local tavern the only place on the island with a television in two flat screen TVs, and one of the few places with electricity. The Mangaia was remote as it was making it difficult for construction and power to reach plus the locals preferred not to use modern technology only using it when it was absolutely necessary, so a small part of the west side of the island had power where the tiny airport was located with the tavern, a lone large resort for tourists located a half a mile from the airport and tavern one grocery story, the clinic, a research station for scientists when they came to the island to do studies, and a handful of homes were all powered by the small solar power grid that was installed.

"Morning Dr. Bixby." said grey haired New Zealander Liam who had opened the tavern on the island fifteen years ago.

"Good morning Liam." Bruce told the man sitting on the bar stool at the bar.

"The usual?"

"Yes." Bruce said turning his attention to the television getting its feed from New Zealand while Liam poured Bruce his coffee, and the cook prepared his vegetable omelet.

"Heading to Avarua for your weekly check and supplies?" Liam asked cleaning out some mugs getting ready for the morning rush. With the island having only one main tavern with a television Liam's place got the business of the two dozen foreigners who lived on the island, and a few of the locals who worked outside of the island who have to catch the seaplane to the other islands.

"Yes I am running low on gauze, bandages, anti-biotics and some other medical supplies for Dr. Palani." Bruce explained, but that wasn't the only reason he was heading to Avarua. For the first time since he came to Mangaia nearly a three months ago Bruce had made contact with the outside world sending a letter to an old friend and family member, but he was distracted by his thoughts when he heard the mention of the Avengers as the newscast switched from New Zealand news to international news and the growing threat of super powered beings in the world.

"After the events of the local invasion of an alien race in New York, the growing rise in super powered beings across the globe, and devastation in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Sokovia countries around the world are asking themselves what needs to be done about the growing threat to the world. The South African government has along with other countries have been putting pressure on the United States to deal with the Hulk who is being a considered a man-made natural disaster that needs to be stopped, but has disappeared since the events of a month ago, and The Avengers either don't know where he is or are willing to tell where Bruce Banner and the Hulk are." The anchor explained. "The Avengers led by Captain America are being strained without the backing of the government and new inexperience members The Avengers, and would have been killed by a group of villains called The Masters of Evil if it hadn't been for General Ross and his elite military unit." The anchor explained showing Captain America, Black Widow, Falcon, Scarlett Witch, War Machine, and Vision taking on and losing against a group of villains Black Knight, Moonstone, Black Mamba, Klaw, Radioactive Man, and Whirlwind on the streets of Chicago. Bruce sees Natasha for the first time in weeks, and the first time on TV. Natasha looks as good as ever in her leather cat suit as she effortlessly dodges blasts from Black Knights weapons throwing a flash grenade in front of the villain blinding The Black Knight giving a clear opening for Cap to attack knocking the Black Knight off his flying horse, but Bruce quickly saw how overpowered the group is compared to The Masters of Evil. Moonstone easily takes down Rodney in his War Machine being photon blasted into the side of the Sears Tower, and then Moonstone and Klaw clip Falcon's wings sending him plummeting down on top of a car. Thing continued to go downhill for the Avengers leaving only Steve and Natasha still standing, but the Black Mamba hits Natasha from behind, and Bruce and feel the dread inside him, and the other guy coming out as he tightly grips the bar top causing his palms to bleed as Bruce realizes he might watch Natasha die, but then Black Mamba as well as Moonstone was hit by multiple energy blasts sending them to the ground as over three dozen advanced armored soldiers with energy weapons came onto the scene forcing The Masters of Evil to retreat.

"Nick Fury leader of the newly formed Avengers Intuitive explained that Sam Wilson known as Falcon was in critical condition with internal bleeding, broken ribs and head trauma, and James Rhodes known as War Machine as some two broken ribs, broken hand and a concussion, but the rest of the Avengers have only superficial wounds, and that the Avengers would not stay down or allow terror and fear to win in the world. After the events of Chicago General Ross had this to say about the growing threats to the United States and the rest of the world." The anchor explained as the screen flashed to a podium in front of the Sears Tower as a mean grizzly looking General Ross made an announcement.

"The world is changing and the United States has to change with it. For far too long we allowed outside influence into our country with S.H.I.E.L.D., and the World Security Council, and look where that that has gotten us as a nation. President Palmer has decided to make changes for the better meant of the country. First unless the United States government is no longer affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. and considers S.H.I.E.L.D. an outlaw organization that is operating outsides the bounds of purview of the United States or any other nation, and international law. President Palmer is calling on the person in charge to present himself before congress and the president or S.H.I.E.L.D. will be hunted down. Second President Kelly has put me in charge of the growing super powered, mutant problem facing the United States. I have been charged in creating a military unit and a team of powered beings that answer directly to the President and dealing with mutant outlaws as well as advising the president and congress on what should ultimately be done about these mutants. Finally the Hulk and Bruce Banner is being designated a human natural disaster that is single handily capable of destroying cities and killing countless people, and he must be contained for not just the security of the United States, but of the world, and the President is calling on the corporation of its allies and other nations in apprehending Bruce Banner and the Hulk. The world is changing and the United States government will must change with it to better protect the citizens of the United States and of the world. That is all if you have any questions you ask Captain Reid." General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross said finishing up his announcement and handing the press off to his assistant. Bruce pitches the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes in frustration. Bruce is surprised at the lengths that Ross would go with the two no longer having a connection with Betty moving. After the events in Harlem she had dumped Leonard Samson Betty had begun date Glenn Talbot and two married in early 2012, and Bruce was happy for Betty, but it seems General Ross's hatred for Bruce has continued, and now with Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer having the ability to keep Ross at bay General Ross is taking the opportunity to deal with Bruce. Bruce hoped Liam didn't recognize him as Bruce had learned a little about hiding and blending in wearing contacts that changed his eye color to blue, cut and dyed his hair from dark brown to blonde, and the natural tan of living on Mangaia helped disguise his appearance, but only go so far.

"Well the world certainly seems to be falling apart." Liam said taking Bruce's plate. "Another reason I'm glad I'm in the middle of nowhere. It's peaceful, quiet, and no one cause's problems except for the occasional drunk, and don't have to worry about what's happing in the rest of the world." Liam continued.

"It's one of the reasons I enjoy it here." Bruce told Liam putting down a twenty to cover his breakfast and the tip, and got up to leave and a catch the sea plane to the main island.

"David." Liam called out stopping Bruce as Liam turned the television from the news to the sports station. Bruce who was getting more nervous as he turned to face the man. "I've never asked what really brought you an obvious well educated man and doctor to Mangaia… and it's none of my business. All of the foreigners here came to the middle of nowhere running from something, searching for something or both. Whatever the reason you are here whether it a being monetary, being fired from your job, failed marriage or running from the military and the world it's none of mine or anyone else's business, but if you ever need to talk about it my doors always open." Liam told Bruce, and Bruce smiled a genuine smile full of gratitude at the man.

"Thank you Liam." Bruce said and went to catch his plane.

On the three hour flight to Avarua Bruce's thoughts turned to Tasha. He had earned the right to call Natasha that after they built their friendship, which had surprised him how much they got along. Tasha had been assigned as his bodyguard after the battle with Loki and the Chitauri only getting pulled off of his detail when Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. had an urgent need for the Black Widow's skills. Tasha had taken a room in the Avengers Tower at the annoyance of Tony, but Stark didn't have much choice in the matter especially trying to win an augment against deadly Black Widow. He and Natasha slowly became more comfortable with each other as the two lived together in the Avengers Tower eating, watching films and television, and casually talking together, but both of them only talking about events of the world, and minor things not talking about their pasts or personal lives. Things between them wouldn't change in their growing friendship until after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve was gone with his friend Sam Wilson looking for his long lost friend Bucky Barnes, Hydra had transformed into a killing machine keeping him in cryostasis only thawing him out for a mission. Fury was dead, S.H.I.E.L.D. was gone, and Tasha disappeared off the face of the earth for, and Bruce didn't see her again for nearly three months until the night of July 27th when as one of New York's many summer thunderstorms slammed New York city with lightning and heavy rain Tasha showed up with a gunshot to her right shoulder, and a knife wound in her left thigh. Tasha didn't respond to Bruce as he helped her to the medical bay he and Tony had set up nor as he peeled back her Black Widow suit taking care of the bullet and her wounds. Tasha refused to tell him what had happened, but had managed to convince Tasha to stay in the Avengers Tower for two weeks to let her wounds heal some. Tasha remained cold and distant only looking at him with cold soulless dead eyes. It wasn't until two days before Tasha was going to leave that everything changed between them. Tony was away on business and Maria Hill had taken a day off for personal reasons. Bruce found her drinking heavily in Tony's community living space one early afternoon, and thought back to that day.

 ** _"Natasha this has to stop." Bruce finally said finally having enough of seeing his friend try to drink herself to death, and seeing the lack of the will to live in her eyes._**

 **_"Natasha what happened the night you came here. Please talk to me I want to help." Bruce begged of her wanting to ease her suffering. Natasha sat in silence for a long time, and Bruce was beginning to think the Natasha he had grown to know and like was gone when she quietly spoke._**

 **_"Elements of Hydra and the remints of the Red Room tried to kill me, and they used one of the only good men I knew from my life in Russia. Misha Taras was a Major in the Russia KGB, and the Spetsnaz. Before S.H.I.E.L.D. and Clint came to find me I had abandoned the Red Room, they were after me along with many others. Major Taras and his men had found me, but like Clint made a different call. Misha never supported the Red Room program to turn young girls into soulless emotional less killers whose only goal was to completer their mission for mother Russia using whatever means necessary as he had two daughters of his own. Misha allowed and helped me escape Russia and evade the Red Room. His objection to the program, and though there was no evidence he or his men helped me it cost him any chance of advancement and later his career. Once was firmly entrenched in S.H.I.E.L.D. I got Misha and his family out of Russia and the United States where the US government and S.H.I.E.L.D. agreed to help protect Misha that is until everything came out with Hydra being entrenched in S.H.I.E.L.D. The US government might have allowed me to go free, but apparently the continued protection of Misha and other S.H.I.E.L.D. assets aren't a priority anymore. The Hydra and Red Room agents used Misha to lure me to their home just outside New York city where Misha was living hoping I could save him and his family, but I couldn't as they had already killed his wife and three children leaving him alive until I got there and then slit Misha's throat right in front of me." Natasha said stopping for a moment, and was growing surprisingly emotional for an independent and secretive woman who kept herself closed off from people and the outside world. Natasha didn't do emotional, but with the loss of one of the few kind people from her past, and the vast amount of alcohol, and what Bruce had hope the progress of their friendship. Whatever the case Natasha's walls she had built up were coming down, and Bruce took her hand and gently led her over to one of the couches in the living area, so they could get more comfortable, and once that had seated Bruce was once again surprised when Natasha didn't let go of his hand._**

 **_"Natasha I am so sorry." Bruce told her as he gently stroked the hand he held comforting her._**

 ** _"There's more. I don't know how you can look at me, but after what I am going to tell you won't look at me with kindness ever again. After they killed Misha they tried to kill me. I could have escaped, but I chose not to. Hydra and the Red Room brought fourteen men to kill me. They should have brought more. I killed them all with some being killed slowly with the exception of the commander. The Red Room taught me to use my intelligence and beauty to get information, but they also taught me the art of torture, and with what I learned from S.H.I.E.L.D. I spent over an hour torturing the man even with my wounds I didn't stop torturing the man inflicting pain on the commander that no one should ever have to suffer through and then I left the broken man alive as I left leaving him to burn alive after I set the house on fire." Natasha calmly explained showing no remorse for her what she had done to the man, and then turned away from Bruce unable to look at the man's face full of disappointment and disgust._**

 ** _"Tasha please look at me?" Bruce asked shorting Natasha's name without what he had done._**

 ** _"Why are you still trying to comfort me after what I've done, and what you've learned about me after my file was released? The legendary Black Widow who kills, tortures, manipulates, uses people and her own body to complete the mission at whatever cost." Natasha told him still looking away and moving to get up and leave the room quickly, but Bruce wouldn't let her grabbing tightly to her hand, and getting her to sit back down on the couch._**

 ** _"Tasha I never read your file or looked up your information on the internet after it was released." Bruce said using his other hand to move to her face and gently moving it so he could look into her face, and she could look into his._**

 ** _"You…didn't?" Natasha asked looking at Bruce's face and into his deep brown eyes showing the truth of what he said and looking at her with nothing but kindness and understanding._**

 ** _"No I didn't. Tony being Tony did, but I didn't. We're friends aren't we?_**

 ** _"Yes we are." Natasha answered with a small barely noticeable smile amazed at how being around Bruce makes her feel not only about the world, but herself as well, and realizes that she doesn't mind that he's calling her Tasha as long as it's coming from him._**

 ** _"Then as a friend I would like to know you better, and about your past, but only if it comes from you." Bruce explained, and then decided to take the step. He didn't like talking about his childhood or past, but he would for Tasha if it helped her realize that she isn't alone. "I'm sure you've read me file right?" Bruce asked._**

 ** _"Yes when the Hulk first was let loose, and then after the incident in Harlem, Clint and I were given you file. It didn't go into great detail mainly dealing with how the Other Guy or the Hulk came to be and what potential threat you posed." Natasha told Bruce._**

 **_"I am terrified of the Other Guy for more than his destructive capability. I'm afraid of him because he's the part of me that I got from my father. You aren't the only one who grew up unloved and abused." Bruce explained to Tasha, and then went on to talk about his child hood with his father Brian Banner, and his abuse he and his mother Rebecca took from him, and when Rebecca tried to escape with him his father killed his mother slamming her head against the driveway. He went on to explain how his aunts didn't want any part of him and his life in foster homes, and the death of his father. Once Bruce was finished he felt relieved to finally talk about his childhood and past with someone who could understand. Betty had loved him, but avoided his dark past, and childhood. Looking into Tasha's farce all he saw was sadness and understanding, and then Natasha opened up to Bruce about her life. She told Bruce in general way about her life in the Red Room leaving out some details, and even told Bruce about her childhood before Red Room took her, and her real name that wasn't even in the file that was released. Now the only people besides Bruce who know her real name is Natalia Alianovna Romanova are Clint and Fury._**

 **" _Where are you going to go?" Bruce asked Natasha after they had finished talking and getting an idea._**

 ** _"I don't know. Clint has his own life that I don't want to intrude on. I guess I will just disappear. I have nothing left to fight for, and no place to call home, but I never did to begin with, and I'm sure no one will miss me." Natasha explained._**

 ** _"I would miss you." Bruce said catching Natasha by surprise. "Tasha I've got an idea. Stay here." Bruce told her._**

 ** _"Here?"_**

 ** _"Yes. Look Maria Hill works for Tony. I live here, and with S.H.I.E.L.D. gone I could use a body guard again to help keep threats from coming after me and unleashing the Hulk when I'm not ready plus you could help me deal with Tony. Yes Tony is my friend, but you know him he can be really aggravating to put it mildly sometimes and I could use another friend to help deal with him and escape from work every so often, but more importantly you could have a safe haven away from the outside world, and be among friends." Bruce told her, but then saw the irritated look in her eyes, and laughed know it was about his other friend. "All right you'd be among one friend, and Tony. What do you say Tasha?" Bruce asked. Natasha thought for a moment looking around the room and out the window as the sunlight was dwindling over the New York skyline, and then turned back to look at Bruce._**

 ** _"All right I'll stay, but you tell nothing to Tony about what we talked about today."_**

 ** _"Done." Bruce told Tasha. Tony had issues with privacy and boundaries. It was one of his many problems._**

 ** _"Also about you calling me Tasha I like it, but only coming from you, so let's keep it between us for now."_**

 ** _"Does that mean you are staying?" A hopeful Bruce Banner asked._**

 _ **"It looks like you've got a roommate." Natasha said once again smiling at Bruce, but a fuller and real smile.**_

Everything changed between them after that. Tasha found something to fight for with the Avengers. When Steve came back to New York after the trail in the search for Bucky went cold he agreed to stay at the Avengers Tower as he had nowhere else to life at the moment. Steve, Tony, Tasha, Hawkeye grouped once again as the Avengers to deal with Hydra and other threats around the world. Bruce reluctantly agreed to help after the Tony convinced him to. Bruce knew that was a disaster waiting to happen as are many of Tony's ideas, as it happened on one mission in Argentina where Hydra team was still operating out of S.H.I.E.L.D. base and the Argentina military couldn't do anything to stop them. They asked for the Avengers help, and he and the team came down to help, and he stayed behind with the jet only for a Hydra team finding it and firing missiles at him and the jet destroying it. Bruce would have died if he weren't who he was or didn't have the other guy inside of him, and the Hulk was not happy killing all they Hydra men, and then going on a rampage through a small town, and then manhandling Captain America, Hawkeye, and Iron Man before he was confronted by the Black Widow. To both Tasha and Bruce's bewilderment it seemed like Bruce the Other Guy had taken a liking to Tasha as well as he hesitated to attack Tasha, and actually reluctantly obey Tasha when she told him to stop. They sun was getting low and it was time to go home, and then she reached out to touch the Hulk without any fear, and so did the Hulk. Tasha gently ran her fingers down his huge arm and into his hand, and then let go. The Hulk just sat down in front of Tasha and turned back into Bruce, which shocked the team. From then on out Tasha was chosen to deal with the Hulk keeping him from getting out of control, and turning back into Bruce.

The two's relationship changed as well. When they weren't on missions or working Bruce would always try to take Tasha out to have fun once a week as neither of them had any growing up. They played miniature golf, went to museums, ice skating, to plays, and Tasha even sometimes went with him when Bruce volunteered at the local free clinics helping with patients. They laughed and enjoyed each other's company until nearly two months before the incident with Ultron and a few days before Thor showed back up on Earth in search of Loki's scepter. Tasha was good at hiding it, but while they were out he'd notice Tasha looking at differently with those piercing green eyes sometimes filled with wonder, awe, mischief, and something else he didn't recognize or refuse to recognize. Bruce also found he looked at Tasha differently. He always saw more in her as her friend. He saw there was more to the woman known as the Black Widow that only a small select handful of people of got to see, and even then Bruce doubted they got to see the fun-loving care free Tasha that he got to see, and she only showed for him. No he knew things were getting to a dangerous point when he truly noticed how beautiful a woman Tasha was. Bruce always known Tasha was pretty, but he realized he loved Tasha's hair, but loved it best when it was long and full of curls, so he could run his fingers through it like had one time when Tasha took him dancing. Bruce had also loved Tasha's emerald green eyes that somehow lit up brighter when he was around. Of course there was the gorgeous body of Tasha that blew by any other woman he had met or seen making his body respond in ways he didn't it want it to. Bruce had begun to feel something he had only ever felt since he was Betty, but what he was feeling for Tasha was more… deeper, and knew both he and Tasha were reaching dangerous territory, and it scared him.

As the sea plane began its decent toward the city of Avarua Bruce realized he made a mistake leaving Tasha. Both he and the Other Guy wanted to get away, but with Tasha. Yes he was hurt by Tasha's decision to throw him into the pit choosing the mission over him, and for a little while thought she had only used him to gain control of the Hulk, but looking back on it he understood why Tasha did what she did. He saw the pain in her eyes when she kissed him, and threw him off the cliff. Bruce understood her decision. The Avengers wouldn't have won without Tasha or the Hulk there to fight Ultron and his minions. Tasha made the hard choice while he ran. He was still scared of becoming a monster like his father and afraid of the Hulk as he tries to get better control and an understanding with the beast inside of him, and doesn't want to go back to outside world at the moment, but realizes he wants to contact, talk to and see Tasha, and begins to think off a way to contact her without anyone finding out where he is, and might have an idea with the person he's meeting.

Once he arrived in Avarua, Bruce quickly went to the main hospital in Avarua, picked up his pay for the week, ordered supplies told the clerk to have them delivered to the Avarua airport, and put on the plane to Mangaia, and then Bruce rented a jeep, and headed drove along to the coast to Aroa Beach where he found a secluded spot on the beach with tree giving him shade from the sun Bruce took out some paper from his bag and began to write a letter to Tasha putting all his thoughts and feelings down on paper for her to read, and lost track of time.

"Well if it isn't my friend David Bixby." A woman with a familiar called out from behind Bruce surprising him as he had just finished his letter, and had put it in an envelope. Bruce turned and standing before him was his cousin Jennifer Walters. Jennifer was the only family member Bruce had that stayed and contact with him and supported him. Jennifer hugged her smaller cousin tightly. "You scared me David. I thought you had disappeared from my life or worse."

"Jen you know what happened I had to get away from the world."

"Yes the Hulk problem. I heard the reports and seen the news. From what I read the Hulk wasn't at fault. The one known as Scarlett Witch got into his head forcing the Hulk out of control."

"The Hulk is always out of control, and a threat to the world."

"No Hulk isn't the problem his alter ego Bruce Banner is the problem." Jen said smiling for a moment at her cousin, but then got serious. "Bruce my dear cousin is the problem. You see David what Bruce fails to realize or refuses to see is that Bruce and the Hulk are on and the same, so the emotions and feelings seep are still there when the Hulk comes out. Like the time in 2009 when the Hulk saved dozens of people from collapsing building in Turkey after a small earthquake. Afterwards a little girl walked up to the Hulk hugged his leg and said thank you. Do you know what the Hulk did David? The Hulk instead of getting angry hurting the little girl or leaving the Hulk stayed for a moment bent down smiled at the girl and patted her gently on her head and then left."

"That's just one of only a few instances. More often or not the Hulk is out of control." Bruce said trying to counter his cousin's argument, but Bruce was arguing against a skilled lawyer who could walk circles around Tony

"I beg to differ. The only time the Hulk ever goes completely out of control is when he's caught off guard or someone messes with his mind or someone hurts someone Bruce cares about. Otherwise the Hulk is in control and once with Bruce. They know what needs to be done. Bruce needs to realize he isn't his father. Bruce is better than his father, and overcame his father to become a good man who as both as a doctor and scientist and as the Hulk as the ability to help countless people. As a lawyer and a good one at that I try to make a difference in the world, but I wish I had the power Bruce has then I could truly make a meaningful difference in the world. I look up to my cousin as a friend and hero as both Bruce and the Hulk." Jen told her cousin. Bruce just looks at his cousin reverence. No one in his family has ever spoken to him that way before.

"Thank you Jen." Bruce simply said with no other response needed.

"All right I brought what you needed." Jen said handing Bruce a bag. "Well David my friend you were lucky I was needed out here to meet a client who had gotten himself in hot water back in the states." Jen explained thought technically the man wasn't her client, but she needed an excuse to come to the Cook Islands and meet Bruce.

"Thank you Jen for everything." Bruce said quickly going through the bag with New Zealand passport and drivers license matching to the name David Bixby and ten thousand dollars in us currency, which would go a long way here on the Cook Islands. "Before you go there is one more big favor I need to ask of you. I need you to deliver a letter to a friend." Bruce said giving Jen the sealed envelope with the letter he had written to Tasha.

"Is this for a woman?" Jen asked looking at the blank envelope with only Tasha written on it. "David are you in love?" Jen asked half joking hoping Bruce would finally move on from Betty, but then looked at the seriousness of Bruce's face. "Oh my god you are in love." Jen said hugging Bruce again. "Who is the woman?"

"Jen this is really important." Bruce told her grabbing his pen and writing a name on his hand and showing it to Jen. "You need to get this only to her, and no one else. Besides you she's the only one I trust with my location."

"You've fallen for her?" asked after seeing two words written on his hand saying Black Widow, and watched Bruce wash his hand off in the Pacific Ocean surf.

"Can you do this for me Jen?" Bruce asked with a mix of hopefulness and desperation in his eyes.

"Of course David. I am happy you've found love, and a woman who can accept both sides of you. I don't know right now, but I will find a way to get this to her without anyone knowing."

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for. Now David I hope you think about what I told you earlier. I think it's the only way you'll be happy or find lasting love with this woman." Jen told her cousin as she gathered her stuff.

"I will Jen, and thank you."

"Of course David those are what friends are for and David don't be a stranger. Oh by the way I like the tan, but the eyes and hair just is hair just isn't you." Jen said to her cousin and then headed away leaving Bruce on the standing on the Beach. Bruce sat back down, and just watched the waves roll in and out as his thoughts once again turned to Tasha, and hoped she could forgive him for running without her, and not letting her know where he is, and hope they can have some kind of future together.


	2. Chapter 2

**All right I'll keep this as brief as possible. There are just a couple of things I need to say. First Choices and Consequences has 7 followers and six reviews with three being guest reviews and the other three being from Not-A-Robot28, syzygy101, and veronica2shoes, so first I am happy you're enjoy my story so far, and hope you continue to. Also thank you for the reviews. I always enjoy them whether they are praise or constructive.**

 **Now one question I believe was about characters going OOC. Honestly that might happen with Banner as I said I don't know the character that well. Never read the Hulk comics, and the only information I get from the character was from this encounters with the characters in the comic universe, and there is little to work with in Marvel's Cinematic Universe as Marvel can't do a solo film without letting Universal Studios control the character. I know it's strange, but that's what Marvel got for selling off all the rights to different studios back in the late 1990's. Anyway all I can use really for Banner is what I know about the character and from places like Wikepidia, Marvel Wiki, and Marvel's Cinematic Wiki page, so I apologize if Bruce is anyway out of character.**

 **I don't believe I will have that problem with the Black Widow. I have always loved the character in the comics, I have liked what Marvel has done with the character in film, and love Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of the character ad both Natasha are such a complex character, but I believe I know both well and understand them. I think some people have hard time with this, but Natasha on screen is a slightly different character than the one in the comics, which means the Natasha on film will have different experiences than the Natasha in the comics. Also I have to say this, but stagnant characters are boring and uninteresting without character growth yet some people were pissed off that Natasha grew and changed as a character in film from her days in the Red Room to joining S.H.I.E.L.D. to Iron Man 2, Avengers, Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron. Scarlett's Natasha first appeared on screen in 2010, and it's been five years since then with the character finding a family with Clint and Laura, meeting Tony, Steve, Thor, and Bruce along with encountering aliens and gods, so of course the character will change with the new experience, and so matter how man walls someone builds up around themselves to protect them from the world and to do their job they can come crumbling down. This isn't out of character it's something called character development, , which can be a problem in the comics with the characters have been around for so long and Marvel recycling so many stories and plot developments as well with writers bringing their own views and takes on the character that aren't always good.**

 **Sorry I need to get that off as I love both incarnations of Natasha. As for the story I am anchoring her in the cinematic universe, but taking elements of her history and attaching it to the character. Chapter 2 had been originally close to eleven thousand words not counting my authors note, and it entirely focuses on Natasha her character and thoughts with her past, Age of Ultron to the present. That's how much I love the character, but I decided to cut this long chapter into two chapters to give the reader a break, so the good news is you'll get another chapter probably tomorrow, and the bad news you Bruce and Natasha won't find each other again until chapter 4.**

 **Here I am saying I was going to post anymore authors notes or keep them short, but here I did it again. I am sorry for that, but I need to say some things. I hope you can forgive me for that, and enjoy the second chapter.**

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CHAPTER TWO

Natasha woke in pain as she turned to her side irritating her ribs. She had suffered one broken left rib, and the rest were bruised after the disaster two days ago in Chicago. Even with her heightened healing ability thanks to the Red Room, she wouldn't anywhere near a hundred percent for at least a week. Looking at the clock on her night stand in her small room in the new Avengers Intuitive Base it Natasha saw it was four in the morning, which didn't bother her since she rarely got more than a few hours of sleep a night. Natasha took a shower, put on her exercise equipment, and first went for a run. As she ran around the base with only a flicker of lights on as only a few people lived on base the ones with no lives like Steve, Maria Hill, and Wanda Maximoff. Sam Wilson lived outside the base renting an apartment near the base. James Rhodes still was part of the US military, but worked allowed to work with the Avengers, so he wasn't on the base much, and Natasha didn't trust that. Since she had been no longer affiliated with the United States government Natasha had realized she preferred that, and didn't want to go back, and certainly didn't trust the government's intentions especially after what General Ross implied about the Avengers and Bruce.

Thinking about Bruce her lovable messed up dork made her stop in her tracks nearly falling to the ground. Natasha had blocked him from her mind as she had once been able to do. Natasha blocked everything out as to not feel anything going back to her Black Widow persona. With the Avengers Intuitive Fury and Stark decided to hire a small number of private soldiers to help the Avengers. Nowhere near the size of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the US wouldn't allow that, and Natasha worked the regular recruits training them harder than normal pushing them beyond their limits forcing some to collapse in exhaustion, others she nearly crippled in combat training just because Natasha had taken things too far when they underestimated her size and ability or those stupid enough to hit on her, and others nearly died forcing some to quit. This forced Fury and Steve to step in talking to her knowing it was because of Bruce, but Natasha had cut them off forcing Fury and Steve her from training the recruits. He time with helping Steve work with the new Avengers didn't fare much better. The team just had no chemistry or jelled together like when it was just Steve, Clint, Bruce, Thor, Tony, and her. Sure they were far from perfect, but they managed to get along and work well together. Their new team of Steve, James, Sam, Wanda, and the Vision, just weren't working or functioning well together. Sure they could easily handle some terrorists, or the new upstart organization trying to replace Hydra in A.I.M. led by a man named MODOK, but when it came to the team being backed by Elihas Starr going by the name of Egghead and the leader and backing behind the outlaw and terrorist group known as the Masters of Evil that was filled with dangerous and powerful super powered mutants who had been stealing, kidnapping, murdering across the North America. Without being a well jelled team or the backing of their own strong men like Thor or the Hulk the Avengers didn't stand a change, and it nearly cost them their lives.

Natasha walked back to the Avengers compound still thinking of Bruce. Did he hate her for what she did by kissing him pushing him into the pit taking his choice away? Did Bruce think she was just manipulating him from the beginning to gain the trust and some control of the Hulk. In her old life or over five years ago she wouldn't have hesitated, as even with her being part of S.H.I.E.L.D. she put the mission above everything even using good people to get the job done, but things slowly change when Clint trusted her enough to let her know about him being married and introducing her to Laura. Natasha soon grew to like having friends in Laura and Clint who she didn't have to lie to or completely lie to or be fake with, and showing her there was more to life outside of the mission. Natasha was happy for Clint, but Natasha never thought she deserved what Clint had. She was a monster created by the Red Room who's only job was to complete the mission, and she had so much blood on her hands working for the Red Room and S.H.I.E.L.D.. What right did Natasha have to want to live or be happy? Still she found some peace with Clint and Laura and their family. Through her thawing thanks to Clint, Natasha was able to become friends with Steven Rogers the legendary Captain America. After the battle of New York the two had started working together, and even though Steve was a too much of an honorable man and naïve for the modern world not liking her methods Steve and her worked well together. Sure some would say, and Natasha had even heard whispers of rumors that they were involved or sleeping together, and all Natasha could was laugh. Clint was her best friend, but Steve was like a little brother who she had to look out for in the new world Steve was living in trying to help him integrate with modern times, and even trying to get him to date, but Natasha had no feelings for Steve, and believed she didn't deserve that kind of love, and wasn't even capable of it. That was until she got to know Bruce Banner.

Natasha had first heard about Bruce from Nick Fury asking her to keep an eye on Bruce Banner in 2008, which ended in disaster. Natasha witnessed Bruce tuning into the Hulk for the first time, and the hatred obsession General Ross had for capturing and possibly killing Bruce and the Hulk or the lengths he would go to achieve that goal which some would say is borderline illegal. One thing Natasha knew was she was out of her depth nearly getting killed by Abomination after Fury had ordered her to Grayburn College to get rid of any evidence of Bruce's experiments to cure himself. Natasha had dealt with Dr. Samuel Sterns calling in a cleanup crew and witnessing some of the fight between the Hulk and Abomination she went to have a talk with Fury as she was out of her depth, and couldn't handle the assignment any longer. The Black Widow being perhaps the world's best spy could handle almost anything from handling the most skilled men with easy, infiltrating the most secure bases or easily blending in and taking on a new identity to get information, but dealing with nearly seven foot tall if not taller giant green monster that seem like it came out of a science fiction film with super human strength and the capability of destroying a city was beyond her unfortunately the next time she met Bruce she didn't have choice. Of course she had been afraid who wouldn't be after seeing what Bruce as the Hulk was capable of doing, but she had to job to do. In Calcutta, India she once again observed Bruce and realized Bruce was a genuine good man, which was a rare thing in the world Natasha lived in and who didn't want to the Hulk as a part of him, and just wanted to help people and live in peace. Through their brief time together in Calcutta and working with him on the Hellcarrier Natasha understood Bruce better as she certainly could understand the feeling of having something dark inside of you, feeling so suicide and lack of self-worth, but she just did a much better job of hiding it from the world.

Even with the incident on the Hellcarrier with the Hulk she found that she wasn't as terrified of the Hulk as she once had been as Natasha thought the Hulk was a part of Bruce, and could see it in the Hulk's eyes, and when Fury ordered her to be Bruce's bodyguard while he lived in Tony's Avengers Tower she hadn't minded. Natasha found that she enjoyed Bruce's company, and thought of it as a vacation with only having to deal with Stark's endless schemes and trouble making. Living and working with Bruce in the Avengers Tower for those two years was quite the experience for her. Bruce was unlike any man she had known till then. Working in the line of work that Natasha did she ran into more than her share of unsavory men or men like Clint and Steve who chose the life, and were similar to her in that they were also soldiers and killers and the toll it took on them. Bruce was different like her he didn't choose to be a part of this life they were living. Like her it was forced upon him by an accident that created the other darker part of him in the Hulk, but I like her he hadn't let it corrupt his soul. Bruce was still good person at heart always trying to help people and avoiding conflict not only because he'd turn into the Hulk, but because he didn't like fighting, war, and death, and would rather live a peaceful life. Natasha learned a lot about Bruce as they grew a working repartee while working together that quickly grew into a friendship as Bruce didn't need anything from her. Everyone wanted something from her whether it as a sexual object or her skills as a spy, and assassin everyone wanted to take something from Natasha, but all Bruce wanted was to chance to get to know her and be her friend, and surprisingly Natasha found it easy to be friends with Bruce.

Unlike Clint and Steve she found her friendship with Bruce was almost instantaneous. Natasha did still feel some uneasiness towards the Hulk, but with Bruce it came easy. Natasha found she didn't put up all the acting and barriers around Bruce. She still had many walls to keep people out from seeing her dark and twisted insides, but with Bruce she could found Natasha could be more herself around the handsome doctor more than anyone else outside of Clint. Natasha learned a lot about Bruce. Natasha learned Bruce loved opera and classical music with some of his favorites being Verdi, Holtz, and Mozart as Bruce loved the music and it helped him to relax. Bruce preferred Star Trek over Star Wars as Star Trek was more grounded based on reality and science while Star Wars was just pure fantasy drivel. Natasha had heard of the two, but never had the time or the need to see any of the films, which Bruce was surprised, and Tony unfortunately overheard, which ended up having over a month long period watching all six Star Wars films, and all eleven Star Trek films. She had painfully agreed to watch the films only if Tony wasn't in the room as after his endless commentary during the Phantom Menace she threated Tony with painful bodily harm, and then went into detail all the ways she could torture Tony without killing him. After that Tony didn't attend Bruce and her viewings of Star Wars and Star Trek. With her and Bruce she found watching the films with Bruce. Bruce didn't talk during the films with endless commentary, and took time to answer her questions, and from then on out they made a movie night each week when she wasn't away on a mission. Natasha revealed to Bruce that her favorite films were comedies. Natasha found after a long weary mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. and adding more red to her ledger she needed to laugh as a release from the darkness, and no not the bad rom-coms that she absolutely hated with one of the few exceptions being the Princess Bride. Natasha loved the comedies of the 1970's, 1980's and early 1990's she thought that was the height of comedy in film. Natasha had a great appreciation Mel Brooks, Harold Ramis, and Leslie Nielsen with some of her favorite films being Airplane!, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Blazing Saddles, History of the World Part I, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, and The Monty Python films. Natasha also enjoyed watching him work in his lab, and yes even when Tony was working with him. Bruce seemed so at home as his awkwardness around her and other went away. Not that Natasha didn't find Bruce's sometimes shy and self-conscious way endearing and cute, but in the lab all that went away as the confident scientist came out, and Natasha liked the confident self-assured Bruce as much as the other, and wish he'd show this side of himself more.

Still with the natural easy of their friendship Natasha found that both she and Bruce avoided deeper conversations. Natasha had read Bruce's file, but it only it wasn't that thick only going into broad details about Bruce's life with his mother and abusive father, and very little detail about his life growing up in foster homes. Natasha could understand Bruce's reluctance to talk about early years or the Hulk as she was much the same. S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury, and Clint knew the most about her past, but even they didn't know everything about her life. Like Bruce they only knew the broad details about her life as a spy and assassin in the Red Room, but left a lot about her training, early missions, and childhood that had been erased from history. Natasha build up so many walls over the years with her first walls being built living on the streets of Volgograd, the next walls built to protect herself were built after Ivan Petrovich had and taken the eight year old orphan Natasha who at the time was living on the streets of Volgograd, and forced her into the Red Room program. Natasha built another wall around herself in the early years trying to survive the harsh instructors in the Red Room, and the other girls in part of the program fighting to be the chose ones. The final walls Natasha built was through her training as a spy, assassin, and seductress as using her body as a weapon was part of the program. With so much damage to her psychologically, and with all the lives Natasha had taken or damaged, and all the blood on her hands she didn't believe she had thought she didn't deserve any happiness, love was for children, and that she was incapable of love. Slowly her view of those things began to change when she came to S.H.I.E.L.D. when Clint had introduced her to Laura Barton. Laura was kind to her from the moment they had met welcoming her into her home and to be a part of their family without even knowing her. Laura understood what Clint was doing and fighting for yet didn't look at him differently for all the things he had to do. Laura saw the good man inside Hawkeye. The two became close as Natasha had never had a woman as a friend before Natasha opened up to Laura like she couldn't with Clint, and through that Natasha's wall about trust came down as she trusted both Clint and Laura, and they in turn trusted her with her secret, and being a part of their children's lives. Since that time years ago her view of the world created by all the Red Room and barriers Natasha had put up were slowly came down as she was more open with a select few, and more willing to show her human side, but everything change after her world came crumbling down.

With the S.H.I.E.L.D. collapse and the release of her file online to the whole world Natasha's world had collapsed around her. Natasha had put on a brave face for the congressman at the hearing as Steve and Fury, but inside she was lost. One of the big reasons Natasha had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. was because she thought while she was damned she could still use her skills to make a better world. It was one of the reasons that kept her going, but now she had found out it was all for nothing, and she was alone. Fury was gone. Steve and Sam were off searching for Bucky, Clint was badly hurt and recuperating at the farm with his family, and she had thought of going back to the tower, but she didn't want to look at the disgust and disappointment in Bruce's eyes. She was alone, and Natasha just wondered from place to place just drinking, surviving and taking the law into her own hands instead of being given orders. In Buffalo, New York she had tracked and hunted down a gang of child traffickers killing them all. In Paris, France Natasha had dealt killed a child molester, and taken down the Albanian mob that was working out of the city. In hear wondering Natasha had even gone back to Russia. In St. Petersburg she had found one of her old Red Room handlers and killed the woman, and tracked down a serial killer that was hunting young street women. Natasha was going to head back to Volgograd when she was left a message on her phone to call Misha, and found that the Red Room was apparently after her and was working with remnants of Hydra. Misha was one of the very few kind people she had met during her life in Russia and part of the Red Room, and after having seen his family killed, and then Misha killed Natasha just snapped not absolutely not caring about her life anymore killing every single one of the bastards who had murdered Misha and his family even going so far as torturing and burning them alive, which led her back to Tony's Avengers Tower, and more importantly to Bruce where all her walls she had built up and thought would never come down would come crumbling down for one day.

Natasha had done her best to avoid Bruce after he stitched her together and she reluctantly agreed to stay in the Tower. When Natasha thought she heard Bruce or saw him enter a room she was in she'd leave only seeing him when Bruce needed to check on her wounds. Tony confronted her first while Bruce was gone for the day with jokes as that was one of his annoying copying mechanisms to avoid conflict and uncomfortable situations when she didn't respond to him only giving him a warning glance Tony got serious accusing her of being the cold hearted manipulative bitch that Natasha's file said she was using Bruce, and saying the only reason she was here was because she was again a bitch who had no one who cared or loved her. Tony didn't get the response he was hoping for when Natasha pulled out her gun in a flash, and shot Tony grazing his leg telling him that was the only warning he was going to get. After that Tony had quickly left for a business trip leaving Natasha alone with Bruce to think about what Tony had said about her. Natasha wasn't going to take that from anyone even if she thought what he said was the truth. She was all of those things, she was alone, and hurting Bruce her kind hearted dork. Two nights later after nightmares involving her days in the Red Room, Misha and his family, about being empty soulless monster she thought she was, and Bruce calling her everything that Tony did and losing his friendship Natasha started to drink at sunrise pulling out everything in Tony's bar trying to erase the pain, which is where Bruce would find her.

Natasha knew she could no longer avoid Bruce or how she knew he would view her after her file was released, and lose his friendship that she had come to value as one of the most important in her life. After Natasha told him what had happened the night she showed up at the Tower, Bruce once again showed her how she was unlike any man she had knew. Bruce hadn't looked at her with disgust, pity or disappointment, but what she saw in Bruce's deep engrossing brown eyes was concern, kindness, and understanding, and when Bruce told her that he hadn't read or file, and only wanted her to tell him about her past all her barriers she kept up crumbled as she allowed the first tears to fall from her eyes since her childhood, and Natasha had thought she was capable of now. Natasha cried tears of sadness for her life, and feelings of gratitude and happiness she never thought she would have for having a friend like Bruce Banner. Bruce had opened up about his abusive childhood and growing up in orphanages and foster homes, and she had opened up about some of her life in the Red Room and her past. The two had talked all through the day and into night learning about each other, and Natasha even told Bruce things about herself she's told no one else including her. Natasha also found the Bruce's shorting of her name endearing, and didn't mind it coming from him. Clint, Laura and even Tony had started calling her Nat after he heard Clint call her that, but Natasha wanted to keep Tasha between them.

That day change everything for Natasha going forward. Living in the Tower with Tony and Bruce she found a purpose again as She and Tony actually agreed on something that the world needed the Avengers, and Natasha had convinced Steve to come to New York after he had lost the trail off his friend Bucky. Clint agreed as believing in what the Avengers were had done and capable of doing despite what happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. Natasha followed the lead of Steve, who with Tony and Clint formed the Avengers. The Avengers had no trouble with Hydra, which was on the run now that they were exposed, but were encountering more and more super powered people or who the media were calling mutants who were quite different from Loki, like Juggernaut who clad in red armor and apparently powered by some red jewel claimed to be unstoppable and basically was for the Avengers as they had stopped him from escaping with the over twenty millions dollars he's robbed from a bank in Boston, but they had failed to capture the Juggernaut, and with the Hulk still in Asgard they realized they need Bruce. Natasha was reluctant to ask her friend for help trying to explain to him that he had better control, and understanding of his other self, but Natasha wasn't going to force Bruce, which left Tony. Tony of course hounded his friend day and night until they came up with a compromise. Bruce would agree to help if Tony helped him build something that could stop and contain the Hulk. Tony agreed and Bruce went into the field as back up working as a doctor and scientist only going code green when absolutely necessary, and that led Natasha confidently realizing that Bruce and Hulk were not separate, but the same after the incident in Argentina where the Hulk let loose expectantly decimating the Hydra soldiers who had taken out their jet with Bruce inside, rampaging through a small town before manhandling Tony, Steve and Clint leaving on her to stop the Hulk. Natasha knew that her and Bruce's friendship had progressed to an all new territory, but didn't realize the true affect she had on the man until the Hulk hesitated in attacking her. Natasha new the Hulk could easily run through her, but she wasn't afraid as she need to stop the Hulk from causing any more damage to the town, and Natasha believed that Bruce was inside the Hulk and she could talk both of them down. Natasha told the big guy to stop and calm down, and he did even though he acted like a petulant child being scolded by a parent as he picked up a car and slammed it on the ground in protest. Natasha began to hum an old Russian lullaby that she remembered as a child. Natasha didn't remember the name of the lullaby just that it was about a warning to children to go to sleep when they were supposed to or the boogey man would come get them. The lyrics of the lullaby weren't soothing, but the music that went with it was, and the Hulk seemed to like as she slowly approached the green giant and told him that it was getting late the sun getting low, and it was time to go home. Natasha had reached her hand out, and the Hulk reached his hand out allowing her to trail her fingers down his large arm and into his hand briefly before pulling back, and then the Hulk eyes stopped being rage filled as the green giant smiled a small smile towards Natasha touching her cheek with his large green hands saying "Pretty spider", and then pulled back and sat down in front of Natasha turning back into Bruce. Natasha just sweetly smiled at the man with her cheeks getting slightly red as it confirmed something in her mind as the Hulk transformed back into Bruce and the man collapsed to the ground. Natasha never told Bruce what the Hulk said as she didn't want to embarrass the man who bring up feelings the two were beginning to have for each other that neither were ready for, but after that day whenever the Hulk went into the field it was Natasha's job to work with and keep the Hulk in check.

While Natasha found her place with the Avengers she found her friendship with Bruce growing to whole new levels as they went out more together with Bruce trying to take them to do all the things they never got to enjoy or appreciate as a child like spending an afternoon going to an arcade bar called Ground Control where apparently it catered to the man child just with booze and food. Still Natasha hand time of her life with Bruce playing what were apparently classic games and arcade games in Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, TMNT: Turtles In Time, Mario Kart Arcade 2, and Gauntlet: Dark Legacy were just some of the games Natasha remembered playing with Bruce. While Bruce was helping both of them act like a child Natasha tried get Bruce to be more confident in himself and his outlook on the Hulk trying to help the man gain better control of the Hulk by mediating explaining that he and the Hulk were the same that he wasn't some violent incarnation of his father that Bruce's father had cursed him with. Both Bruce and the Hulk were good men who avoided conflict if possible and helped people making them heroes. Through their months working together as Black Widow and the Hulk, and their growing intimate friendship it wasn't until one late winter day in this past February that Natasha knew something had change. She and Bruce were going on one their days together for fun, and while getting ready Natasha had looked in the mirror to what she was wearing in buckle knew high boots, a pair of dark washed skinny jeans, a white seamless cami, and over top of that a tan fringed sweater, and Natasha had begun to grow out her hair after a mission in India she reluctantly agreed to go on in a joint mission with the Avengers and the CIA where she had to get cut her hair into a pixie cut, and realized she wanted her hair back to her back length shoulder hair because Natasha knew Bruce liked it after she had taken him dancing one night, and Natasha froze as she realized what had happened to her.

Natasha had a body of what men called a goddess and she knew that, and used it to complete missions, and dressed in sexy cloths like it was the theater and she was putting on an act with no emotional involvement, and Natasha never had dressed up for a man trying to please him when it wasn't part of the mission, and she realized she had feeling for Bruce that had nothing to do with friendship, and began to look back at when did that began. Natasha first noticed the way Bruce would looked at her for a brief moment while she was teaching Bruce to play pool almost four months ago. Through a mirror she saw for a brief moment Bruce starring at her but through the mirror, and then caught him looking at her differently before he turned away quickly picking up his drink. The way Bruce looked at her wasn't the way friend was supposed to look at another friend, and the way Bruce had looked at her was like she was the only woman in the world, a flash of desire, and something else. Natasha noticed also remembered that they would occasionally hold hands while they were alone or that she would loop her arm with his, and then there was the incident with the Hulk where the other guy had let perhaps let open Bruce's growing feeling for her. What was this feeling Natasha had inside her that mixed both fear and happiness into a new emotion that she'd never felt for man before. Was this love Natasha thought? No that was ridiculous love was for children or at least that was what Natasha kept telling herself.

Natasha was the Black Widow she was a monster who didn't need anyone and certainly not love not did she deserve it, and it would just get in the way of her job, but then Natasha had thought back to her mission in India dealing with a terrorist organization that had managed to get their hands on some Chitauri weaponry stolen from New York. Natasha had easily been able to separate Tasha from the Black Widow and efficiently completer her mission infiltrating the terrorist organization as a sex slave, manipulate the targets, and find the weapons calling in the joint team of the Avengers, CIA agents and local India authorities. Natasha knew if she wanted to she could separate Black Widow from Tasha when necessary to compete mission, and Natasha had begun to think maybe she wanted something more from her life than just being a killer, but what truly terrified more than anything else was taking that chance with her heart. Natasha had mistakenly become emotionally involved with a target as the man was only petty criminal and an otherwise a decent man, but was a family member to a criminal organization functioning out of Asia called The Hand that originated out of Japan. Still even with her sympathy for the man she completed her mission at the cost of his life, but Natasha had never been in love before and new it was a risk she'd never taken before, but as Natasha thought about it she may not deserve to be happy and have peace, but Bruce did and maybe giving Bruce that she could find her own, and decided to take a chance with Bruce as Natasha knew he wouldn't take the first step, so she'd let him know in a not so subtle way. Unfortunately for Natasha that hesitation cost her a chance as Thor showed up asking for their help to find Loki's scepter and led to one mission after another with really now time to rest or for Natasha to talk to Bruce until after the events in Sokovia she thought the Avenger might finally get a break and she'd have a chance to talk to Bruce, and at Tony's part she had took it opening up to Bruce about taking the next step in their relationship that Natasha thought they both wanted, but once again something got in her way with Ultron. It seemed god for fate was telling her that Natasha didn't deserve any love or happiness. After the incident in South Africa, Natasha had once again talked to Bruce trying to comfort him about his fear of the Hulk, that he could hurt her and the life Bruce could give her, and Natasha again opened up to Bruce like no other reveling that the Red Room had turned her into a cold emotional less monster whose only job was manipulating and killing, and one of those by products of the Red Room was that she was incapable of having children telling him that she understood and it didn't matter to her as long as they were together. After they agreed to go with it and run away together after they dealt with Ultron they had lied in bed holding each other taking away each other's pain and sorrow, and a promise for a future together, and Natasha being the Black Widow she found a way to destroy that like virtually everything else in her life. She had turned away Bruce forcing him without his consent to become the Hulk, and used him to help the other Avengers to defeat Ultron. Natasha understood why Bruce and the Hulk ran away as both of them probably hated her now, but she didn't regret the decision she had made as without her and the Hulk the Avengers would have most likely lost and at best tens of millions would have died and at worst the human race would have been wiped out. Still even with her not regretting her decision it still didn't hurt any less. Natasha hoped Bruce was living a quiet peaceful life, and maybe one day she'd see him again, but she wasn't going to look for him as she didn't deserve him, and Natasha would leave it up to Bruce about their future as friends or more, which brought her thoughts back to the present.

Natasha made her way through the Avengers facility towards the gym past the medical bay. As she walked by the medical bay she heard Steve, Nick and General Ross talking.

* * *

 **I hoped everyone enjoyed the chapter, and sorry for the lack of dialog and character interaction, but like the last chapter I wanted to go into events leading up Age of Ultron. Focusing in on the character and how she evolved to that point of loving another person opening up to them in Age of Ultorn. The next chapter again is Natasha chapter, but pushes the story and overarching conflict forward with a lot more character interaction and dialog.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay I meant to have this posted nearly two days ago, but I got busy with work, and I wanted to fine tune and edit the chapter some especially the end. All right first I am happy to see that Choices and Consequences has 19 followers, and I am happy to see that so many people have been enjoying my story and writing. Next I would like to give a shout out to the reviewers to posted reviews for chapter 2.**

 **Thank you Guest and dairxoxo for the brief reviews.**

 **Thank you Not-A-Robot28 and syzygy101 for your reviews. I completely understand that you and others might have found chapter two a little hard to read with long paragraphs and little dialog, but I thought is was important to dig into Natasha's mind set and feelings before meeting Bruce, after she met Bruce, and the events after Age of Ultron to show how her character has evolved over the years since she left the Red Room.**

 **Thank you KellenRae for your lengthy review. First I was not offended by your critical review. What your wrote is what I'd consider constructive criticism in that you did point out some of my writing flaws, but also want me to get better, and I can appreciate that. Even though I am attending college, and have taken many writing classes and do believe I am a decent writer I still know I am far from a great writer after all that is why I'm here writing a fan fiction story instead of being a published fantasy or sci-fi writer. I will try to do better with my writing and word usage, but I know I'll still make mistakes, so I don't mind criticism from reviewers as long as it's constructive criticism. Again thank you KellenRae for your nice review, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story.**

 **That's it for now. There will be some after chapter notes that you can skip over if you want, but for now here is chapter 3.**

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Chapter 3

"Sir what are President Palmer and you hoping to accomplish?" asked Steve ever the respectful soldier of General Ross not liking some of what the General said two days ago. Natasha continued to listen, but backed into a dark corner as not to be seen.

"It's as simple as what I said yesterday. The president wants me to observe the mutant super powered situation, and advice the president and congress on what to do on the matter, and also get in control of some rogue elements that are still part of the US government or have gone completely rogue like your S.H.I.E.L.D. organization" Ross said with the last statement directed right a Fury. "You wouldn't happen to still be in contact with your old organization now would you Nick?"

"You know I have, and it was to save the world from Ultron." Fury defended. Fury had known Ross for a long time, and the man could be a ruthless, arrogant and now obsessed man, but he was also a highly intelligent man when it came to tactics, strategy, politics, and the game that spies played.

"Ah yes that's the excuse you and the so called World Security Council made every time you broke international law, or entered a country without permission. I'm sure you could be tried in dozens of countries for espionage, extraterritorial investigations, and the unauthorized killing of their citizens, and here in the United States you could surely be tried for treason and executed."

"You're one to talk Ross." Fury said having enough of Ross's so called high and mighty attitude when he knew about what he did in Harlem and other incidents in defense of the country and his hunt for Banner.

"You're right Fury, but I am held accountable to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense, and the Army, while you and S.H.I.E.L.D. were technically operating under the United States umbrella you didn't answer to us only to your secretive World Security Counsel. Well President Palmer has had enough of government agencies operating on their own or as rogue organizations doing what they want. Now with finding out we aren't alone in the universe, god like being existing and now the ever increasing super powered mutants appearing the President wants order inside the government and order inside the country. If that ends up in being part of some registration act or building prisons capable of holding these people."

"So you're going to tag, mark and track these innocent people whose only crime is having abilities. Do you know what that sounds like General, because I do? That sounds like what Hitler and the Nazis did during World War II or what Stalin was doing inside the Soviet Union, and countless other dictators of third world countries. I thought the United States was supposed to be better than this?" Steve asked in disgust losing what little respect for General Ross he had.

"Oh come Rogers don't be naïve. The world is never black and white and hard choices sometime have to be made. Right now we have no way to categorize this people capable of killing countless people, and causing untold damage to the country and world, and costing United States and the world hundreds of billions of dollars if not trillions of dollars. The United States prison system is serviceable at best, and there is no way our prison system can house beings like the Juggernaut, the Blob, Radioactive Man, and others that's why Stark Industries is helping to build a state of the art prison to house these people, but that will take time."

"Stark is helping you build a prison?" Fury asked surprised not knowing what Tony had been up to since he dropped out of the Avengers only funding the Avengers Intuitive while Steve was shocked. He thought Tony had learned his lesson from Ultron, but Steve realized Tony's arrogance and god like complex knew no bounds.

"Yes I went to Stark two weeks after the Ultron incident and asked for his help in creating a prison to hold these super power beings like the Hulk and he agreed. You know you agree with me Nick in that something has to be done." Ross explained to Fury, and as they were talking they were getting a ground listening besides Natasha that included Wanda and Maria Hill.

"Fury you can't agree with this." Steve stated not happy with the new direction the country he loved was taking.

"He agrees Rogers, and speaking of the wayward Bruce Banner you and the Avengers wouldn't happen to know where he is?" General Ross asked looking suspiciously at Steve.

"No we have no idea where Bruce is after the Hulk disappeared with the Quinjet after defeating Ultron." Steve told the general.

"Would you tell me if you knew?" Ross asked Steve eyeing the man darkly. "What about Natasha Romanoff does she know where the Hulk. I have seen video of the Black Widow taming the beast. If she's not care the beast will tame her." General Ross smirked, and Natasha had enough of Ross's voice and his implication his statement. Natasha was about to come out of the darkness walk right up to the general and snap his neck when Steve straight up decked the general sending him back against the wall and to the ground.

"I've had enough general it's time for you to leave." Steve told the shaken man.

"You know captain." Ross started standing up shaken with a bruised face and bloody knows not realizing how likely he had been Steve had held something back in his punch or Steve might have killed the man. "The President and the United States government allow you to have this Avengers Institutive and to act freely of the government for four reasons. One because out of respect for the service of Fury while the second reason because of Tony Starks funding of the Avengers and willingness to corporate with the government. The third reason why we allow you to act freely is because the Avengers is a symbol to the people, and the people love the Avengers, and the final reason is because of you Steve. You are the leader of the Avengers and a symbol of what it means to be an American and a hero that people look up to. The president does now, and I looked up to you as a child, but all of this hinges on you and the Avengers following the basic rules we set out for you and not going rogue that includes not harboring a wanted man or hindering the apprehension of the Hulk." Ross said turning to leave, but stops for a moment. "Mr. Rogers you had better adjust to the world we live in or maybe you were correct when you said the world and time passed you by, because maybe then you were right and the world no longer needs or wants Captain America." General Ross said leaving the room with that statement in the air.

"You can't agree with what he said?" Steve asked of Fury as Natasha came out of the shadows and walked down the hall towards them.

"Rogers it's not that simple."

"Are you saying you'd side with Ross and Tony in what they are doing?" Steve asked now lumping Tony in with Ross.

"Yes I agree with some of what he said like that we need to figure out what to do about powered beings, and when they commit crimes, but I also agree with you Steve. I don't like some of what Ross said and the direction the government had taken. The issue with decided security of freedom isn't simple Steve." Nick told Steve, and despite their differences Nick highly respected Steve and valued the man.

"So when it came down to it you'd side with the Ross. Perhaps you should step down from being in charge of the Avengers Intuitive." Steve stated, and Fury sight closing his eye for a moment.

"You and Tony asked me to be in charge of this program while you were commander of the team. If you want me to step down I will Steve, but I suggest you think about it because I have a feeling in the coming years all of us are going to have some difficult choices to make that we may not be happy with, but have to live with. Now I really have to go and talk to Scott Lang about joining the Avengers." Nick explained to Steve before passing Natasha and walking off.

"Nat what about you? You've seen what dictators have done in the past, and the road President Palmer and Ross might me walking down. It may start out innocently enough for the so called right reasons, but it will eventually lead down a darker path." Steve said turning to his friend who was turning more and more back into the darkness after Bruce had disappeared.

"I don't like Ross he's a despicable man, but I agree with what he was saying Steve. The world is changing perhaps faster than anyone is prepared for, and we can't have super powered mutants running around causing havoc. We've also got others inspired by us forming teams like the team out of Detroit calling themselves the New Warriors, then there's school that has recently open for the gifted run by Professor Charles Xavier that some believe is for mutants in near New York City in Westchester County or here in New York we have the vigilante known as the Daredevil taking the law into his own hands in Hell's Kitchen, and the killer vigilante known as the Punisher endangering innocent lives in his efforts to kill every criminal in New York City, and finally there is a mysterious masked man called being dubbed Spiderman apparently entering the so called vigilante/hero game. The government can't just allow all these people to simply take the law into their own hands that leads to inspiring other including civilians with no skills or powers thinking they can take the law into their own hands, which leads to a slippery slope chaos, anarchy, martial law, and perhaps the collapse of the United States." Natasha tried to explain to Steve. She may have wanted to kill Ross, but she did agree with much of what he said as Natasha had a pessimistic view of the world.

"Would you say the same thing if or when General Ross finds your Bruce Banner and has found a way to capture or kill him like he is trying to." Wanda snidely said in her thick eastern European accent. "I could read him easily, and though he might reluctantly want to capture Banner what he really wants to do is kill Banner or would you be the one killing Banner?" Wanda asked in an accusatory tone.

"How dare you enter use your magic tricks on me without my permission?" Natasha angrily said getting close to Wanda.

"Yes I've been in your mind when we were training and you nearly killed me, but you aren't as hard to read as you think." Wanda said only slightly using her powers and knocking Natasha back a few feet and nearly knocking her to the ground. "I for one am not going to allow that. If the government comes to me trying to tag me or register me in some kind of data base I am going to fight back." Wanda angrily stated.

"ENOUGH!" Steve said slightly elevating his voice getting in between the two dangerous women. "I still have faith in this country and that its leaders won't allow it to come to that. Wanda would you please check on Sam for me?" Steve asked wanting to separate the two and wanting to talk to Natasha. Wanda gave one last look to Natasha and nodded to Steve heading into Sam's room leaving just Natasha and Natasha in the room after Hill left to talk to Fury before he left.

"Nat you are my friend and I want to help you, but if you won't let me help you I can't watch you turn back into the Red Rooms Black Widow. I know you hurt yourself when you had to make that choice with Bruce and when Bruce left, but you can't turn back into the old Black Widow who doesn't care for others and works along. That Black Widow endangers the safety of her teammates and jeopardizes the mission, and isn't someone I want on this team."

"Are you kicking me out of the Avengers?" Natasha asked surprised. All she had was the Avengers and Steve was going to take that from her.

"Yes. I think you need to go on a sabbatical. Visit Clint, Laura and the kids I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. Travel the world, but not like an assassin and spy, but instead like a tourist, and have fun and find yourself. If you decide to come back they'll be a spot open for you here, but you need to go." Steve said gently squeezing Natasha's shoulder giving her a sad smile and then turning and entering Sam's room leaving Natasha alone like she always was and felt inside.

Natasha briefly looked into the room where Sam was recovering where she watched Steve and Wanda talk to Sam, and then left quickly down the hallway to her quarters where she quickly took a shower packed her duffle bag with the few cloths and possessions she had like the picture of her and Bruce together they had taken when she had taken dancing. She had worn a black Strapless Shimmer Cocktail Dress with Bruce's jacket around her shoulders with her head on resting on Bruce's shoulder looking handsome his navy blue casual dress shirt and black dress pants. They looked like a loving couple on a date. How did neither of them see what was happening between before it was too late or maybe both of them chose to ignore it neither believing they could or deserved anything, and now they were both alone. Putting the picture in her bag picking up the bag and heading out of her room walking toward the exit she thought about her place in the Avengers and didn't know if she'd be back or wanted to come back. Natasha walked up to the reception desk that was installed for visitors, and dropped off her ID card. As she turned to leave, but was stopped by the receptionist.

"Excuse Miss Romanoff there was a letter dropped off for you." The young male receptionist told her handing her the small white envelope with the only the address of the base and her name on the front. She took it opening it as she walked out and stopped only finding a business card with for the Harris, Walsh, and Flanders law firm with an address in Brooklyn. Natasha looked at the card strangely for a moment before heading to her black Corvette Stingray and driving away from the base thinking nothing of the card, and planning on heading to one of two safe houses she had in New York city to crash for a day or two call Clint to maybe come down to visit, and then leave the country to travel, but as Natasha reached New York city something in her gut was telling her to see what the card was about. Someone obviously had wanted to get her attention and meet her without anyone knowing who had contacted her, so entering the city she changed directions heading toward Brooklyn and the address of the law firm. Once she found it Natasha parked her car ten blocks away and pulled out three hand guns. One she put in her leg holster under her jeans and another she put in her back tucked into her jeans hidden behind her shirt. The last gun she put in the large purse she pulled out along with a camera to look like tourist spending a relaxing day doing some shopping as she even went into a bookstore bought a book on New York City architecture speaking in a thick eastern European accent and occasionally speaking Romanian, and then Natasha went to a coffee shop a block away from the small five story building office building that the law firm worked out of. Natasha watched the building for over three hours drinking coffee and pretending to read her book. Natasha never noticed any threats waiting for her around the building or following her. She even started up random conversations with other patrons in the coffee shop about asking about the area, what is good to see in the area, and about the law firm nearby and another customer chimed in saying that it had been there since 1992 that they were criminal defense lawyers. Natasha decided that it was safe and went inside to the reception desk.

"Welcome to Harris, Walsh, and Flanders how may I help you." The receptionist asked.

"I was mailed only this card from this law firm." Natasha stated handing the older woman the card.

"And that was it?" the woman asked looking at the card strangely, and Natasha just nodded back. "Well that is strange, and I got a strange request nearly two days ago from one of our lawyers telling me that if someone came in and told me what you told me to call them. Hold on one moment." The receptionist said picking up the phone and dialing. "Yes I need to speak to Mr. Jefferson." The receptionist asked of Mr. Jefferson's secretary. "Yes Mr. Jefferson someone is here with the card you mailed. Yes I will send her right up." The woman said hanging up the phone "Mr. Jefferson would like to see. Just take the elevator to the third floor and turn left down the hall and you will find his room, and Mr. Jefferson said come right in he'll be waiting." Natasha went up the elevator and turned left down the hall past the empty secretary desk, and into Mr. Jefferson's office where she found older black man with greying hair sitting behind the desk.

"You sent me the card?" Natasha said looking at the man wondering what was going on.

"I sent you the card, but I wasn't the one who wanted to meet you, but it is still a pleasure to meet on the Avengers and heroes of New York." Mr. Jefferson said getting up and shaking Natasha's hand.

"Who wants to meet me?"

"I do." Jennifer Walters told her entering the room. "Marcus thanks for doing this for me." Jennifer told the man who had been her mentor in law school as well as here at the law firm.

"You know I'd do anything for you Jen you're like daughter to me." Marcus said to Jennifer and then headed to the door. "It's nearly six and everyone is gone for the day. I just sent Jennifer home for the night, so the floor is yours. It was a nice to meet you Miss Romanoff and Jennifer have a good weekend." Marcus said closing the door, and heading home for the weekend.

"Who are you and why did you go through all this to get me here?" Natasha asked eyeing the taller woman as this Jennifer went to a lot of trouble not let anyone know they were meeting.

"I am Jennifer Walters, and as for why you are here it's because we have a mutual friend." Jennifer explained as Natasha looked at the women strangely like she was trying to remember something then eyes lit up in recognition.

"You're Jennifer Walters." Natasha stated realizing she was talking to Bruce's cousin.

"Now you can see why I went to so much trouble. I didn't want to let anyone know that I sent you anything or that you were meeting me. We couldn't meet in my office on the first floor as I wouldn't be surprised if a certain Ross was keeping taps on me with listening devises in my office hoping to hear about Bruce, and I wanted to meet you."

"What for?"

"I could have left the letter with Marcus to give to you, but I wanted to meet the legendary Black Widow who was able to capture Bruce's heart so completely that his love for you has surpassed his once love for Betty." Natasha didn't respond. Did Bruce really love her? Had he forgiven her? "Wow I tongue tied the great Natasha Romanoff." Jennifer said smiling getting Natasha's attention as she sat down in Marcus's chair.

"What message did Bruce want to give me?" Natasha asked sitting down across from Jennifer knowing that the other woman wouldn't have gotten her here just to meet her.

"Bruce asked me to give you a letter, but before I did I wanted to meet you and talk with you. First while I admire you and your work with the Avengers I have read your file that was released Natasha, so I do have so reservations about you and questions like what you are doing with Bruce? Are you just manipulating Bruce and playing with Bruce's emotions to just to gain an advantage of the Hulk? Are you going after Bruce to capture or kill him like I have no doubt Ross is trying to figure a way to do? You don't scare me. If I don't like the answers to my questions you aren't getting the letter Bruce wrote for you." Jennifer bluntly told Natasha showing to fear sitting across from one of the most dangerous people on the planet. Jennifer planned to burn the letter in Marcus's trash can, plus she had her propelled fired Taser that she had pulled out of her purse when she had down behind the desk. Jennifer was protective of her cousin and she wasn't going to let him be manipulated like that by anyone even if that person was the Black Widow.

"I love Bruce." Natasha said deciding to frank and honest to Jennifer's surprise. Natasha had told Bruce that she adored Bruce telling him that she loved him without openly saying as she was afraid to admit to herself that she had found love, and now she wouldn't hide it anymore from Bruce or herself anymore, so Natasha decided to be honest with the only family member who cared for Bruce, and one of the very few people looking out for Bruce wanting to protect him so much Jennifer was willing to risk her own life in dealing with the Black Widow. "Bruce is my best friend and the man that I love who has single handily broken down all the walls I had built showing me a that there is a whole new world out there to live, and that I am worth more than just my skills as a killer, and wants nothing but love and happiness for me. Yes I made a hard choice that I don't regret to help stop Ultron, but what I did to Bruce still hurts and hope maybe one day Bruce can forgive me for the choice I made. No I am not working with General Ross to capture or kill Bruce. I can't make promises about the future, but I have no intention of hurting Bruce ever again." Natasha finished deciding not to hide the emotion that was welling up inside of that she usually blocked out from her mind and hid from others.

"One last question." Jennifer said after the long silence that enveloped the room after Natasha had finished, and Jennifer was struck by the raw emotion on the supposed emotionless Black Widows face as she watched two tears fall from Natasha's eyes. After she had heard what Natasha said Jennifer decided to give Natasha the letter no matter what, but wanted this one last question answered. "Betty and Bruce's relationship was doomed because she couldn't accept, saw them as different and couldn't live with the Hulk being a part of their lives, so can you accept both sides of Bruce?" Jennifer asked of the other woman, and Natasha smiled.

"I love all of Bruce both Bruce and the Hulk who represents the repressed emotions that Bruce had kept bottled and built up since his childhood, but finally were able to come to live after his accident taking on a form of their own. I've been telling him that the Hulk is part of him, and if he accepts that and trains himself I believe Bruce and the Hulk together bring a lot of good to the world.

"I told Bruce the same when I met him. All right I'm satisfied that you'll look at for my wanderer cousin." Jennifer said handing Natasha the letter. Natasha just held the letter looking at her name given to her by Bruce that she loved, and slowly ran her fingers along the top of the letter, and then opened it pulling out the parchment, and began to read silently to herself.

 _ **Tasha**_

 _ **I am sorry for not contacting sooner, but I've been afraid that you wouldn't forgive me for leaving without you. I keep letting my pacifist nature and fear rule turning me into a coward that doesn't deserve a woman as magnificent as you. The Hulk and I for some time after the battle with Ultron thought you had betrayed us forcing the Hulk out and had used me to help you gain better control of the Hulk, but after contemplating the events of Sokovia I quickly realized you made the right decision, and my fear nearly cost the planet millions if not billions of lives. Tasha I know you might feel guilty for your decision, but you made the right choice, so forgive yourself as I have forgiven you as there was nothing to forgive.**_

 _ **Tasha for a long time after the accident I thought that my father was right in that I was the monster he had always thought I would be with the Hulk being a curse being a gift from him. I tried to find love with Betty, but she couldn't accept the Hulk as part of our lives, which was along with her father was one of the major reasons that we didn't last. For so long I was hopeless wondering from town to town trying to keep the other guy at by, and attempting to end my own life on multiple times letting the darkness take me, but then I you came into my life a stunning red head with marvelous deep emerald green eyes with showed her deadliness, but with faint sign of sadness and pain, and my life would never be the same. Through you Tasha gained friends in Tony, Steve and Thor, and Tash through your kindness and friendship I gained a better understanding of myself and the other guy gaining self confidence in myself, and found love again.**_

 _ **I love you all of you that includes Natalia Romanova, Natasha Romanoff and the Black Widow. I didn't realize I was falling in love with you for a long time. Looking back on it I think I fell for you Tasha when I came to pick you up from your safe house and you were taking me out dancing, and opened the door wearing that sexy black dress with you long flowing curly red hair I froze and I felt by heart beating faster as I was seeing the loveliest woman in the world. I think I knew I had fallen for you, but I blocked it out pushing it down for many reasons not wanting to destroy our friendship if you rejected me, and I didn't think highly of myself as well with the Hulk inside how much of a relationship would I or anyone else. I should have told you how I felt sooner. Tasha I don't expect you to feel the same way as I do, but if you can forgive me for not having the confidence to tell you how I feel, abandoning you, and for not contacting you letting you that I am all right and where I am then come see me. I am staying on the island of Mangaia in the Cook Islands under the name of David Bixby. If you need any help just ask my cousin. Jen is the only other person I trust with my location. Tasha whether you decide to come or not please don't tell anyone where I am. The world right now is unhappy with the Hulk and what he's done, and could lead to unnecessary violence especially now that Ross is after me again.**_

 _ **I hope to see you soon Tasha for there is more I want to say and show you.**_

 _ **Love**_

 _ **Your loveable dork Bruce Banner.**_

"Bruce really trusts me that much?" Natasha asked more to herself than to Jennifer. Bruce had just given his location to her, and without knowing whether she'd come after him to capture or try to kill him or tell Ross where he was.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Jen asked beginning to realize where Natasha's train of thought was going. "Bruce loves you and there's no one in the world he trusts more. The only reason he contacted me first and waited to contact you was because of his own fears about your feelings for him and whether you've forgiven him for abandoning you and running away." Jen explained

"Do you have a lighter?" Natasha asked Jennifer after looking at the letter and thinking for a brief moment. Jennifer handed Natasha hers, and watched Natasha get up from her chair walk over to the small metal trashcan opened the lighter flicking the flame on and lighting the letter on fire tossing the burning letter into the trash can.

"Wait what are you doing?" Jennifer asked in shock and surprised as she got up and watch her cousin's letter burn, and for a moment she thought Natasha was done with Bruce.

"This stays between us." Natasha simply stated looking at the woman. "You and I are going protect Bruce from General Ross or anyone else." Natasha explained making her choice.

"You're going to him?" Jennifer asked knowing Bruce had told Natasha his location and that's why the woman had burned the letter to make it more difficult for anyone to find Bruce with only Natasha and her knowing.

"Yes and I don't need to tell you and Marcus never say me and I was never here." Natasha said grabbing the purse to head to the door.

"Marcus already knows, but I'll go buy his house and talk to him tomorrow, and I can handle the security footage in lobby of the building and elevators."

"Thank you for helping Bruce and contacting me." Natasha said about to walk to the elevator.

"Take care of him. From only briefly meeting you and talking to both Bruce and you I think you two are good for each other and belong together." Jennifer said as the elevator doors opened.

"I will." Natasha said as the elevators doors closed for Natasha had made her choice before she opened Bruce's letter. Natasha was on Bruce's side whatever that was and she would deal with the consequences as they came. Natasha walked out of the building to her car with the first real smile she's shown since she visited Clint Laura for a weekend two months ago, and before Bruce disappeared, and Natasha drove forward in car toward the future without any regrets of not contacting Nick, Clint, Steve or anyone else.

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 **I just realized as I am reviewing this chapter on after I uploaded the chapter that with the way I ended the chapter I could have ended the story with a really opened ended happy ending for Bruce and Natasha. I did not realized I had done that.**

 **Lets move on shall we. First I hope you liked Bruce's letter to Natasha as that was the hardest thing for me to write in this chapter. In fact I rewrote the letter four times trying to get it as good as possible, so I hope you liked it.**

 **All right first no one has asked this or stated this yet, but I think I'd better get ahead of this. S.H.I.E.L.D. in the comics has had a few different origins. In one it was basically a solely run United States organization in another it was a United Nations organization, and in the Cinematic Universe it looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. was a combination of the both, but whatever the case there is no way a massive global organization could operate without the hundreds of billions of dollars if not trillions of dollars from the backing of the United States government. At least right now the only other country I could see even remotely being able to handle such an organization is China that is why in this story the United States has a lot of power over S.H.I.E.L.D.**

 **Moving on I know the New Warriors were really based out of New York city, but I never like that until recently that something like 90% of all superheroes and superhero teams were based out of New York City. I understand why Marvel writers did that back in the late 1950's all the way up to recently as Marvel is headquarter in New York City and many of the writers lived and worked in the city. New York City is a great city, but I just didn't like that aspect of Marvel Comics.**

 **Next I don't know how many of you have read Marvel Comics Civil War. It's very length, and I don't think it's necessary to read every comic tie into the Civil War, but overall it was a great story line based off the real world events in the Patriot Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security that many US citizens were and are rightly scared off as history has proven that security can sometimes come at the cost of privacy and freedoms. Marvel writers wisely used it as an inspiration for their Civil War story line, but of course pushed it to extremes with hero fighting against heroes costing some superheroes their lives as well as in not destroying then permanently damaging marriages and friendships. As you can tell from this chapter choices and dealing with the consequences of those choices will be a big part of this story line as I will bring in some heroes and kill of others, so be prepared. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the film, but in the comic Natasha fought on the side of Tony Stark, and though Hulk and Banner weren't part of the Civil War many have said Bruce would have also sided with Tony while the Hulk would have sided with Captain America. Even though the chapter ends with Natasha disappearing that doesn't mean she won't choice a side, and I'm not going to give anything away.**


	4. Chapter 4

**There is nothing much to I want or need to talk about before or after with this chapter except that finally has Bruce and Natasha coming together again. I am very happy to see that Choices and Consequences has gone up from 19 to 31 followers. I am glad all of you are enjoying my story and hope all of you continue to. Next I want to thank veronica2shoes, RiaMarie1281, Oacean1, Pain d'pices, and Not-A-Robot28 for the reviews I appreciate them.**

 **All right I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter, and hope everyone enjoys it. As always feel free to review hopefully good positive reviews, I have no problem with constructive criticism.**

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Chapter 4

Dr. Valerie Cooper looked at the window of the Boeing C-17 looking out over the high plains of eastern New Mexico as the military transport plane heading toward the High Plains Research Base that was nicknamed the Hulkbuster base by Ross's men and other military officials. Cooper looked across at her six recruits and was pleased with herself. Like General Ross, she had warned President Palmer about the growing threat mutants and other beings, and the military unpreparedness when dealing with them and threats from alien races. Through her impressive service working for the CIA and NSA Valerie had become a well-respected for her skill to being able to read seeing things other couldn't as well as being a skilled interrogator, and intelligence analyst, and thanks to that President Palmer had made her one of his National Security Advisors and takes her as the civilian counterpart to General Ross in observing and advising him on what needs to be done about the super powered people in the United States as well as extraterrestrial threats. The first thing Cooper had advised the President was creating a government team of powered people tasked with capturing beings the regular police or military couldn't handle. It had taken her some time, but Valerie had assembled a team that she believed could handle any threat that included the Hulk, and if necessary the Avengers. Landing at the base Cooper walked down the ramp to find General Ryker and General Ross waiting for her.

"Dr. Cooper it is good to see you." General Ross said smiling politely to the long haired blonde woman. "How is the president?"

"The President is always a busy man with the Chinese causing trouble in the South China Sea, Latavia civil war that has broken out in the country with mysterious machines backing the rebel army no one knows where they came from or who is the leader of the rebel army, and then there is here at home with possible alien invasions, the ever growing population of super powered beings, mutants, freaks, or whatever you want to call them, and perhaps most important is his upcoming re-election campaign coming up next year. General Ross we have the responsibility of making the United States a more secure place, and to advise the president making his job less stressful." Cooper explained to Ross not telling the General what the President had tasked for her as it could be her most important assignment. President Palmer needed Ross's expertise as he was one of the United States best generals, but he wasn't blind to what Ross had done, and President Palmer had asked her to watch the general and report back to him.

"Being the president certainly is a thankless job. Did you bring them?" Ross asked

"Yes I found our team. General Ross and Ryker let me introduce you to the Freedom Force. First let me introduce Julia Carpenter aka Arachne. Next there is Dominikos Petrakis aka Avalanche followed by Guido Carosella aka Strong Guy and Lila Cheney. After them is Terrance Sorenson aka Equinox, David North aka Maverick, and lastly Dane Whitman aka Black Knight." Cooper said introducing the members of the Freedom Force as they walked out of the plane.

"Well you certainly brought together an interesting team." Ross said looking over the team which was full of at criminals. Avalanche and Black Knight who they had captured after Dane was left behind by his comrades after the fight with the Avengers were wanted for murder, bank robbery and many other crimes. Equinox was wanted as well just for lesser crimes. Still that didn't bother the Ross if it helped him get Banner. Plus there was Maverick who had been part of the Weapon X program, and had a healing factor that could perhaps rival the Hulks. Arachne was a powerhouse of abilities that would greatly help take down the Hulk. The only two unknowns were the one known as Strong Guy and Lila Cheney. Ross could guess what Strong Guy's abilities were just by looking at the huge man. As for Miss Cheney he'd just have to trust there was a reason why Cooper chose Cheney. "Our main base will is at Fall's Edge, Virginia right outside D.C., but I agreed to bring the team here to meet since we are jointly working together." Cooper told the General.

"Thank you Val. Freedom Force you have been not only tasked with being the United States powered police forced but with tasked with taking down the Hulk, and I am the expert on Bruce Banner and the Hulk, so I expect all for you to be experts at knowing both of them by the time you leave. My right hand man General Ryker will show you around the base and all the files on both Banner and the Hulk." Ross explained and then handed the team off to Ryker, and turned back to Cooper. "Val come with me. I'll show you around and we can talk and then I'll take you to your quarters." General Ross said escorting Cooper around the base talking about their plans for the Hulk with a new weapon that could easily pierce the Hulks skin, and their thoughts on mutants. As Ross was escorting Cooper to her quarters for the night they passed by a television with a live broadcast of the Avengers led by Captain America with Scarlett Witch, Vision, War Machine, Thor, and their new member Ant-Man once again fighting the Masters of Evil in Boston, but this time Ross could see that the battle would end differently with the help of the visiting Thor and new team member Ant-Man.

"I must say I am impressed that their back on their feet so soon." Cooper said watching the Avengers take down the Master of Evil. "It hasn't been two weeks since their defeat and the Avengers are already back in the fight looking more like a team then they have since the defeat of Ultron." Cooper continued as all six Avengers surrounded the two remaining villains in Black Mamba and Moonstone.

"It is more that they are lucky that Thor had come back from Asgard to visit Jane or I doubt this fight would have gone down so smoothly." Ross noted as Black Mamba and Moonstone wisely surrendered. "So Val what do you think of the Avengers?" Ross asked as he escorted Val to her room.

"I take it you're not asking whether they are an effective team, but whether Captain America will get in your way in the future." Val asked as they stopped in front of her room for the night.

"Not my way the United States way." Ross countered.

"If things come to a head and President is forced to make an executive order or congress passes some kind of registration act I think certain Avengers will be a problem. Scarlett Witch will definitely be against it as will Captain America. James Rhodes and War Machine will side with the government. I have no idea what Vision, Ant-Man or Thor would do. Iron Man will side with the government, and I used to believe I knew who Hawkeye would side with, but after what happened with S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and his past experiences with us I'm not sure any more."

"What about Natasha Romanoff?" Ross asked opening Val's door for her, and remembering he hasn't seen Natasha since the battle in Chicago.

"The Black Widow will side with the government." Val stated somewhat surprising Ross. "No matter what her perceived feelings for the Banner and the Hulk are Natasha is a realist and a pessimist knowing that something needs to be done in this ever changing world." Val explained walking into her room and turning to look at Ross.

"Thank you for your insight Val. If any of the Avengers get in our way, heed our task of observing or arresting mutants committing crimes they will be dealt with."

"I agree Ross." Val said about shut the door, but stopped wanting to say one more thing to the general. "Just remember Ross that we are United Sates citizens and officers of the state operating on United States soil, and even though we are given some leeway we are still required to follow the laws and rules given to us, and not doing so is unacceptable." Val explained and shut the door in Ross's face. So the president sent his own watch dog to observe him Ross thought was he walked down the hall on his way to his quarters to make a phone call. That certainly added his respect of the President, but that might complicate things because when it came to Banner and the Hulk laws didn't matter to him. Entering his quarter Ross first went to his phone.

"Agent Reid what do you have to report?" Ross asked the agent from the FBI he had in charge of keeping tabs on the Avengers and Jennifer Walters.

"Sir there is nothing to report. There has been no sign of Banner. We have Walters home and office bugged but there is no sign of Banner trying to contact her. Her trip the Cook Islands was work related. We have no ears inside of the Avengers compound, but our men watching the place haven't observed anything strange or out of the ordinary when it comes to Banner, and we still haven't been able to locate Barton. From what we know or think we know is that he had a secret family very few know about." Reid explained to the general.

"Keep looking for Barton. What about Romanoff?"

"She's off the grid. She left the Avengers Fridays nearly two weeks ago after apparently getting on kicked off the team. Natasha was spotted in New York, but then vanished, and if the Black Widow doesn't want to be found you aren't going to find her."

"All right keep up the surveillance. I want Banner found." Ross told the agent hanging up and dialing another number. "Warden It's me. It's about the plan we discussed a three days ago. It's a go. I will have a team sent to you. Make it look like he escaped, and transfer him to my team and they will bring him to me." Ross told the warden and hung up.

"No matter where you run or hide Banner I will find you, and this time there will be no one to protect you." Ross said out loud before lying back in his bed.

Little did General Ross know there was someone else making her way to Bruce in Natasha Romanoff who was waiting for her flight to the Cook Islands at Auckland Airport, in New Zealand. Natasha could have gotten to the Cooks Islands much sooner, but did not want to lead any Red Room, Hydra or any of her other enemies to Bruce or allow Ross to follow her, so for nearly two weeks she had taken a vacation like Steve had asked her to do. After driving north from New York City she put the Stingray in storage space she used under the name Nadine Roman. Natasha had never used the alias Nadine Roman before. She kept one identity a secret from even S.H.I.E.L.D. just in case she needed it, and the name wasn't on any file related to the Black Widow, so it hadn't been released when Natasha's file had been released to the public. Nadine is a 27 year old chocolate brown haired Irish American from Hartford, CT who is a registered nurse working out of Buffalo, NY who also volunteers with the American Red Cross. Natasha had for just for a situation like this made Nadine her most through and detailed identity yet. Over the years since Natasha had come to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. she slowly built the Nadine identity going to the neighborhoods in Hartford where Nadine had supposedly grown up talking neighbors and community members so to foster relationships as Nadine convincing people that Nadine actually existed and by the time she was done to the people in those neighborhoods Nadine did exist. The easy part was getting Nadine a social security number, ID, driver's License and passport. The hard part was implanting Nadine into people's lives without them realizing it. Besides talking to people in Hartford, and Buffalo Natasha had hacked a high schools data base showing Nadine Roman had graduated, and even implanting a picture of herself in the schools old year book. Natasha created Nadine's childhood where her father worked as a mechanic and her mother as a nurse who were both killed in a car accident when Nadine just before she graduated from high school, with no immediate family Nadine was on her own in the world.

Natasha was impressed with her creation that she had planned to use if things ever turned real bad, and even considered after the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not even the best agents from Russia or Fury will be able to track her down. Once she had everything read for Nadine's live Natasha headed north to Buffalo where she first travelled to England to see a comrade who owed a favor to her. Natasha travelled into London taking in the sites for a day, and then drove to Cardiff where she met Peter Wisdom the former Black Air agent and now high level MI6 and an accomplished spy and assassin who was good, but not on her or Fury's level, but his mutant powers easily made up for that. Natasha didn't believe anyone was following her, but Natasha asked Wisdom to make sure either derailing or eliminating anyone who was following her. Wisdom did owe Natasha one favor for saving his sister, and he agreed to help keep anyone from tailing her out of England. Natasha thanked the man, but still wouldn't put it past the man to keep tabs on her as she left England, and that was the reason she went to Lisbon, Portugal onto Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and next to Santiago, Chile to finally here in New Zealand. Natasha had taken time to enjoy the sights while she could taking pictures she planned to show to Bruce as she wasn't on the job or mission to complete only worrying about being followed, but as Natasha got closer to Bruce she was getting more excited with a fire building inside of her she had felt thinking about or being around Bruce. The nearly five hour flight to the Cook Islands and the capital of Avarua was a quiet one where Natasha got couple hours of sleep keeping her large duffel bag close to her where she had packed the usual stuff for a traveling tourist, but also Black Widow uniform and two of her three handguns. Natasha had also brought another duffel bag down in the lugged compartment that had her other handgun, but also included an MP7 SMG Natasha had picked up in Lisbon. Natasha had found a way around security by wrapping using a case S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists had designed if their agents had to fly on a commercial plane. Essentially there were case with in another case. It would show the x-machine the stuff packed on the inside of the outer case, but mask the other case. That invention was able to keep agents from being vulnerable while on a mission.

Walking through the airport to where the seaplane was waiting to for its passengers to Mangaia Natasha got a lot of stares from passerby's and other passengers heading to Mangaia as Natasha were sure the passengers were thinking why is a beautiful foreigner with long brown hair dressed in a navy ruched front maxi dress pair of sandals was heading to Mangaia. It wasn't one of the resort islands, and wasn't tourist major tourist attraction attracting only scientists who come to the island to do research as the Mangaia is the oldest island in the Pacific with a lot of rare plant and animal life. Natasha just smiled and waved politely to her fellow passengers acting natural. Natasha finally got to Mangaia on the evening of Saturday August 12th. The sun was setting over the Pacific lighting with half of the sun hidden behind the Pacific's horizon lighting up the sky in beautiful plethora of colors mixing yellow with a tint of orange, blue added to the darkness of night rising from the east. Natasha turned hearing a faint hit of sound coming from the tavern nearby. Heading up the walkway in up the small dirt road Natasha reached the Pacific Blue Tavern. Natasha walked into the Pacific Blue looking around she saw seven tables a pool table and dart board, a bar with stools and two large televisions hanging on either end, but no patrons or workers. Natasha walks up to the bar putting her duffel bags and looking around.

"Hello." Natasha called out. "Is anyone working."

"Yes I'm here, but I'm stuck in the back. My cook is stuck on the Avarua as he won't be able to catch the last flight of the night here, and the day cook won't be here for another half hour, so if you want a drink help yourself to the bar." The male voice called out from the back. Natasha walked around the bar looking in looking around for a moment and then finding the refrigerator she found some chilled sparkling red wine and orange juice and made herself mimosa. When she looked up from what she was doing Natasha froze before she could take a drink as she found a blue eyed blonde haired Bruce starring at her from across the room. He did look nervous, but also adorable Natasha thought as she looked at Bruce in brightly colored Hawaiian and cargo shorts. He's unruly curly natural brown hair was quickly growing out turning Bruce's air color to a very dark blonde hair color.

"How'd a nice girl like you end up working in a dump like this miss…?" Bruce asked coming out of his daze of seeing Natasha again and walking over to the bar standing across from Natasha.

"Names Nadine Roman, and a fella done me wrong. What do you think Mr.…?" Natasha asked remembering their conversation from before and made Bruce a mimosa as well.

"David Bixby and it sounds like you got lousy taste in men kid."

"Well, he's not so bad. He's got a temper, but deep down he's all fluff. Fact is, he's not like anyone I've ever known. All my friends are fighters, but this guy spends his time avoiding fights because he knows he'll win." Natasha repeated what she said before as she took a sip form her drink.

"He sounds amazing." Bruce remarked taking a drink from his glass and looking intently at Natasha.

"He's also a huge dork. Chicks dig that. So, what do you think? Should I fight this? Or should I run with it?" Natasha asked, and then watched Bruce walk around to the back of the bar as his eyes stayed on Natasha watching her passionate softness to his eyes. Bruce stood before her, but Natasha was going to let Bruce make the first move this time, and he did moving his hand gently along her cheek, which she leaned into and stroked it with his thumb.

"Definitely run with it as there is no more running from you or us." Bruce said leaning into Natasha, and she met him half way in their first real kiss that was gentle and sweet with his hands running through her long hair. The two pulled back resting their foreheads together, and both smiling, and then Bruce took Natasha into his arms hugging her against him with her head resting on his shoulder fully embracing Bruce back making a promise to herself to never let go of Bruce again as long as she was alive. The two stayed like that for a long time enjoying the silence and each other's closeness, but it was cut short by Liam.

"Sorry to break this up David, but I need the bar." Liam explained and pointing two to patrons coming in. The last plane had arrived for the night and the sun, and with all the workers back the tavern was about to get busy.

"I'm sorry David, but a good friend came to visit." Bruce explained as he and Natasha pulled apart and moved out from the back of the bar.

"Hello I'm Nadine Roman." Natasha said introducing herself to Liam.

"A pleasure to meet a friend of David." Liam told Natasha as Bruce put down money for his drinks picking up one of Natasha's bags. Of course Natasha noticed a brief flicker in Liam's eyes as he looked at Bruce and knew Liam knew who Bruce was.

"Sorry I won't be around tonight I'm going to take Nadine to my place." Bruce said putting one of Natasha's duffel bags over his shoulder while Natasha picked up the other, and without Bruce noticing dropping her purse on the barstool.

"David one moment I'll be right back. Wait here I left my purse in the tavern." Natasha explained after they had walked a couple of hundred feet leaving Bruce on the side of the road with the duffel bags.

"Did I leave my purse here?" Natasha asked as she came up to the bar making sure to sound worried and a little panicked.

"Yeah you had left it on the bar stool." Liam said reaching behind the counter to grab Natasha's purse and hand it to her, but as Liam was handing to Natasha she grabbed Liam's shirt tightly surprising Liam, and pulled in so her head was on the side of his.

"You know who David really is?" Natasha whispered in his ear her voice quiet, but with a viciousness to hit that put Liam on edge. "Answer the question yes or no."

"Yes." He whispered back knowing what Nadine was asking.

"Now say his name quietly." Natasha demanded.

"Bruce Banner."

"Now do you know who I am?" Natasha asked of Liam as she pulled only slightly so she could star at him, which terrified him, as for what was staring at him was no longer the vibrant full of life emerald green eyes Natasha had shown earlier for Bruce, but now the darkest shade of green eyes he'd ever seen, and even more they seemed almost lifeless devoid of a soul. "Take your time and think Liam." Liam looked at the woman before for a long time looking back in his memories as he realized this Nadine resembled someone, and then his hand and body began to slightly shake. "Now Liam who am I?" Natasha once again asked quietly knowing the tavern was slowly beginning to get busy.

"The…Black…Widow." Liam quietly answered realizing he was far more afraid of the Black Widow than the Hulk. The Hulk with is strength and power would probably kill him quickly and painlessly, but the from what he's read and heard about on the new the Black Widow could be far more deadly and painful to her victims.

"Good then you'll know what I'm capable of doing to you if you tell anyone Bruce or I are here right?" Natasha asked Liam who just silently nodded in return. "Good." Natasha said letting go of Liam's shirt and watched Liam stumble back against the back of the bar knocking over a bottle of bourbon shattering the bottle when it hit the floor.

"Are you all right Liam?" a patron asked looking their way.

"He's fine Liam just accidently slipped." Natasha turned explained to the man, and turned back to Liam, but now the darkness that had seem to envelop her was gone with eyes much lighter full of life. "Well thank you for keeping my purse for me and the talk, but I really need to go. David is waiting for me." Natasha said with a smile thanking Liam for her purse and then walking away only for Liam to stop her.

"Nadine you know your friend David is a really good man who I'd consider a friend only from knowing the man about three months, so I would never do anything intentionally to hurt David." Liam told Natasha still shaking a little with some fear in his eyes, and she looked at Liam for a moment nodded her head, and then turned and left.

"You didn't scare Liam too much now did you Nadine?" Bruce asked Natasha as she returned, and smiled at her slight surprise. "What? I know you Nadine. You will do anything to protect the people you care about, and that's one of the many things I love about you." Bruce said pulling Natasha in for another kiss. "But you didn't have to do that Liam wasn't going to say anything."

"I know." Natasha said with a dopy grin on her face. She was happy to hear Bruce say he loved her as well see Bruce more open and assertive with his emotions and feelings toward her. "If Liam had wanted to tell the world you were here he'd have done it by now. Still I wanted to be sure, and let him know what I would do to him if he did."

"Come on I'll take you to my home." Bruce said picking up one of Natasha's bags and taking her hand into his, and the two walked south along the one paved road on Mangaia that circled the length of the island. The two walked a mile and a half where they walked along some steep cliffs that took up nearly two thirds the coast of Mangaia passing other small houses until they reached a small paved path leading down a about fifteen feet where they came to a cabin on standing on small hill along the beach. "It isn't much, but it's been home these past three months, and I've found it very peaceful here." Bruce said showing her around his small home.

"It's very quaint and very you. I love it." Natasha said looking around at the small house, and putting her bag down by the door next to where Bruce had put her other duffel bag.

"Have you eaten? If you haven't I have some fresh fish in the old ice box along with some vegetables I can cook out on the fire pit."

"That sounds nice." Natasha said slipping off her sandals wanting to feel the sand on her feet as Bruce went and pulled out the two fresh fish he had gotten earlier in the day out of the ice box, and a variety of vegetables out of a cabinet. "Sorry I only have water here to drink." Bruce told Natasha as he walked down onto the beach putting the fish and vegetables on the small table while he got some wood to put in the fire pit.

"It's fine." Natasha said, and while Bruce got the wood for the fire pit she made some make shift security measures a few dozen feet from the house to warn them if anyone was sneaking up on the. The two cooked and ate their dinner as they enjoyed the comfortable silence that enveloped them as the night took old with the only sound being the soothing sound of the crashing waves.

"I was getting worried that you might not have come or hadn't forgiven me for leaving without you." Bruce said once he had finished his fish.

"Bruce you told me in your letter to forgive myself for what I did to you during the battle with Ultron, so the same goes for you. I understand why you've ran why you've been running and hiding most of your life first from your father and then when you became the Hulk. You're afraid of being hurt and hurting people you care about and innocent lives. I was happy to get your letter trusting me with your location, and even more so when you said you wanted to see me. I'm hoping you've grown some since being gaining confidence in yourself and trusting yourself and the other guy, and from what I've seen and felt you have." Natasha said smiling at Bruce and touching her lips knowing it was safe to say Bruce's name here the crashing of the waves, the distance they were from the road, and there was no other home quarter of a mile.

"That is thanks to you Tasha. Having your friendship started me down this path to a better understanding with myself, and after the war with Ultron I did need to get away, but I wish I had taken you with me. Being on the island here helping people and meditating thinking about you meditating on about myself and coming to accept that the Hulk is part of me…he is me, and getting some blunt honesty from Jen pushed me to the next step pushing the fear aside and to allow me to express my feeling for you and to show you." Bruce explained.

"Does that mean you'll give me another kiss?" Natasha asked innocently batting her eye lashes, and enjoying hearing Tasha from Bruce's lips again.

"I'll give you as many as you want or you get tired of them." Bruce said using both his hands to cup her cheeks and then kissed her hard passionately under the countless stars of the night sky.

"Well that will never happen." Natasha honestly said as maybe it was because she loved Bruce, but the man was the best kisser she'd ever kiss.

"Tasha I also promise neither me or the Hulk will ever run without you again." Bruce said looking lovingly into Natasha's eyes and kissing her again.

"We're going to have do something with your hair." Natasha said running her hand through Bruce's growing hair.

"What you don't like the color? I learned a lot from you and wanted to be inconspicuous and changed my eyes and hair."

"Well I do like the tan." Natasha said seductively looking Bruce over making the doctor fidget nervously, and Natasha smiled at that. "But the eyes and hair aren't you. They aren't Bruce Banner, and I miss the glasses." Natasha told Bruce, and yawned.

"You must be tired from all the traveling and I know you never get much sleep." Bruce said seeing that Natasha was getting tired and got up taking the plants and leading her inside putting the dishes away and then turned and realized that he'd forgotten about the sleeping arrangement, and Natasha looked seeing what he say in his lone twin mattress bed. "Tasha you take the bed I'll take the floor."

"Bruce don't turn into a prude now when you were showing so much progress." Natasha teased. "There's no reason for you to be uncomfortable and there's more than enough room for both of us. Don't you find me attractive?" Natasha continued to tease and flirt with the man she loved.

"I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation, and do I find you attractive? Of course I do you are by far the most beautiful woman on the planet, and being around you now does things my body, and makes me want things I'm not ready for and my never be ready for or that you may want something from me that I'm not ready to give, and then there is my heart rate that gets dangerously high the green kind of dangerously high." Bruce explained with his hands fidgeting nervously, and Bruce walked up to Bruce putting her one hand on his chest feeling his heart beat, and the other to his cheek so she could look him in the eye.

"Bruce first I am not uncomfortable. I am at piece around you. You know Bruce I see people who look up to me as being some kind of role model and think I enjoy or wanted to be the odd girl out, the bad girl, a so called anti-hero. That's not what I wanted, but then I was never given a choice, and for a long time I accepted it even working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, but you changed all that. Knowing you, becoming your friend and falling in love with you has given me back part of the humanity I honestly didn't think I ever had or I was capable of having. I will always be the Black Widow, but I'm not going to feel guilty or ashamed about loving someone wanting to go on dates, kiss them, or hold sleep with them without sex just holding each other. I don't expect anything from you Bruce. I know you still have a ways to go before you are ready for that, and I've told you about my past with the things I've used my body for to complete a mission. I never want to have sex with you." Natasha emotionally explained as she felt tears flowing from her eyes and saw the look of pained sadness in Bruce's eyes at her last statement, but before Bruce could say anything Natasha continued. "What I will want from you whenever you are ready is for us to make love. I've had sex many times for meaningless times that weren't passionate had no emotion and left me empty. What I want is for us to learn about each other's bodies like we did when we became friends and fell in love. To learn what we like and don't like, when you are ready we will be two people who love enjoy body, heart, mind and soul becoming one." Natasha finished feeling Bruce's heart beat slowing to a steady pace, and then Bruce put his hands into Natasha's hair gently running his hands through her long chocolate brown hair in a soothing pace for a moment and then pulled Natasha to him crashing his lips against hers in a fiery hot passionate kiss as their body flush up against each other with Natasha's hands in Bruce's air and Bruce's hands running up and down her back with their tongues dulling for supremacy.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Bruce asked when the two finally came up for air.

"All you had to do to deserve me was be yourself. That was all it took me to fall for you." Natasha answered Bruce's question running her finger along his cheek and then pulled back. "Now why don't you get ready for bed while I go take a much needed shower." Natasha told Bruce walking over to one of her bags and carrying it outside while Bruce took care of the dishes, and turned to get change out of his cloths pair of boxers and nothing else there isn't much variation in temperature on the Cook Islands all year with the average temp in the evening in August was 64 degrees. Bruce pulled the ultra-light weight blanket back and turned when he heard the door close and turned to see Natasha in nothing but a blue camisole and matching pair of sleep shorts. Once again Bruce froze as he watched Natasha the personification of physical perfection pull a chair up to the door jamming it into the handle since the door didn't have a lock, and then she pulled out her four guns putting three of them in hidden, but accessible places around the room, and the last one she put by the right by the bed, and then turned to Bruce, and he watched her look him up down suggestively make Bruce blush as Natasha walked up and ran finger along his arms and chest.

"You are quite the beautiful man." Natasha looked at Bruce's well-toned body no overly muscular, but the muscles in all the right places. It's funny Natasha thought she'd seen Bruce nearly naked many times before when he returned from his Hulk state, but this time was different, and very naught thoughts popped up into her mind, but she quickly shook them off. They both loved each other, but this state of their relationship was still new, and like Natasha had said earlier wanted more than sex from Bruce and only when he was ready. "Come on Bruce get into bed we're both tired, and need sleep." Natasha told Bruce motioning him to get in first. Once he was lying on his back on the bed Natasha turned off the lantern, and crawled into bed nestling into Bruce with her head on his chest over his heard so she could hear Bruce's heartbeat and Bruce used his arm to pull Natasha in tight to him and pulled the blanket over them. They sat in a long blissfully comfortable silence for a long time, until Bruce spoke up.

"This isn't going to be easy is." Bruce said as his thoughts wondered to the future and knew they couldn't stay hidden as no matter how careful and at peace with his other half the Hulk would eventually emerge revealing his location.

"No it won't" Natasha honestly replied coming out of her peaceful state for a moment. "The outside world will eventually drag us back into eventually whether we want to or not, so here is what we are going to do Bruce." Natasha said turning her head up to look at Bruce. "We are going to enjoy our time alone for as long as that is, and when the outside world catches up to us we will handle it together as a team, so that nothing will drive us apart." Natasha told Bruce meaning every word, and Bruce kissed the top of her head.

"I love you."

"I love you to Bruce." Natasha said for the first to Bruce, which caused Bruce to capture Natasha lips in his for a heated kiss, and pulled back smiling as the two let the dark thoughts drift away as the two lovers drifted off to sleep wrapped in each other's arms.


End file.
